Unusual Giraffe Facts

Name

• The giraffe's scientific Latin name is Giraffa camelopardalis. It is inspired by the ancient Romans, who referred to giraffes as "camelopards" because they thought of these mammals as possessing the body of a camel and the spots of a leopard.

Feeding Adaptations

• Giraffes feed mostly on the leaves of the acacia tree, which are covered in thorns. These do not pose a problem for giraffes, whose tongues can be up to 18 inches long, which allows them to bypass most thorns. Their saliva is also thick and very sticky. This protects their mouths and throats from injury when they do swallow the occasional thorn. The giraffe's tongue is also very dark. Biologists believe this unusual coloring may be an adaptation that prevents their tongues from sunburns. An adult giraffe can consume up to 140 lbs. of plant matter a day. To avoid competing for food sources, males and females will eat from different parts of the acacia tree.

Cardiovascular System

• A giraffe's head is approximately 6 1/2 feet away from its heart, which therefore needs to pump hard for blood to reach the brain. In one minute, a giraffe's heart beats 170 times and pumps up to 16 gallons of blood. As a result, giraffes' blood pressure is twice that of humans and among the highest of any animal. The heart of a giraffe weighs around 25 lbs. Moreover, giraffes have a special mechanism in the veins of their neck that keeps blood from rushing to the brain when they bend over to drink water. Otherwise, the influx of blood would cause the giraffe to lose consciousness. A network of capillaries in the giraffe's brain dubbed the "wonder net" serves a similar function.

Eyes

• Among terrestrial mammals, giraffes have the largest eyes. Combined with its height, a giraffe's keen eyesight allows it to spot predators, such as lions, in the distance. Giraffes are also equipped with long eyelids that protect their eyes from tree-dwelling ants and help them sense thorns when they feed.

Sleep

• Giraffes are on the lookout for predators almost around the clock. Consequently, they lie down to sleep deeply for only about 20 minutes a day and usually not for longer than five or six minutes at a time.

Birth

• Female giraffes give birth in an upright stance. The offspring, known as a calf, plummets 6 feet to the ground, headfirst, but is not injured. Giraffe calves are approximately 6 feet tall as newborns and grow at a rate of an inch a day, according to the Smithsonian National Zoological Park. They are usually capable of walking within the hour and begin running within a day.