giraffe Adaptions

that neck!

Giraffe adaptions have allowed them to thrive in one of the harshest places on Earth, the African savanna.

The standout feature of the giraffe is, of course, that neck! So what kind of special adaptions must occur in order to make such a unique body function properly?

Today the giraffe is the tallest animal on Earth, with males topping out at about 18 feet at the top of the horns (called occicones), and 11 feet at the shoulder. Although no fossil trail exists, it is assumed the giraffe developed its remarkable physique and out-survived its relatives, by reaching for the treetops.

As taller individuals ate leaves and fruits unavailable to shorter individuals, the giraffe thrived, and became more and more specialized. While the 6 to 8 foot long, 600 pound neck is most obvious, the giraffes entire body is a masterpiece of specialization.

Viewed from the side, the giraffes shoulder region is towering, with a highly elongated pectoral girdle which gives the illusion that the front legs are longer than the rear. Front and rear legs are about the same length, however, between 5.5 and 6 feet long.

While the relatively short back has vertebrae of a median size, the vertebrae of the neck, are stretched to about 11 inches long, They still have the standard 7 neck vertebrae found in most mammals, including us, but they are not only elongated, but also articulate far more than ours.

The neck is supported by powerful muscles and reinforced ligaments which anchor to vertebrae between the shoulder blades, and form a hump where the back and neck meet.

The head is refined, streamlined and equipped with an 18 inch long tongue for even further reach.

Both males and females have horns known as "occicones", which are formed from cartilage and covered with skin. Females have thinner occicones, that are tufted with longer hair on top. Males occicones are larger, have knobs on the ends, and become bald on top as they mature.

Awesome Giraffes!

Giraffe Physical Adaptions

giraffes circulatory system

Behavioural Adaptions of a Giraffe

giraffes adaptions to their environment

giraffe drinking

To start with, the giraffe has a 25 pound heart capable of creating the extreme blood pressure required to pump blood 8 feet up to the brain. But when the giraffe lowers its head to eat or drink, the blood rushing down at such high pressure would cause the blood vessels to burst. Pressure sensors along the neck’s arteries monitor the blood pressure and activate contraction of the artery walls (along with other mechanisms) to counter this increase in pressure.

The blood leaving the giraffe’s heart has to do more than just reach the level of the head, it has to be at a high enough pressure to pass through all the fine capillaries that supply the brain and other organs. To achieve this, the blood leaves the heart at a pressure of 200-300 mm Hg which is probably the highest blood pressure of any living animal.

A giraffe’s blood pressure is so high that it would rupture the blood vessels of any other animal, but the arterial walls are much thicker than in other animals, and their skin is so tightly stretched over the body that it acts almost like an anti-gravity suit, keeping the giraffe safely inside the giraffe! - Amazing!

a few more giraffe facts

giraffes snuggling

The giraffe is the largest ruminant and the worlds tallest animal
Male giraffes can be 18 feet tall at the top of the horns
Giraffes have 2 to 5 horns called "occicones"
The giraffes neck is 6 to 8 feet long and can weigh over 600 pounds
Giraffes "chew their cud" just like cows
Giraffes defend themselves by kicking
A giraffes kick can kill a lion!
The giraffes tongue is about 18 inches long

Scientific Classification:

Kingdom

Animalia

Giraffe Facts - animalstats -
MALE	FEMALE	YOUNG	SOCIAL UNIT
bull	cow	calf	herd
HOME	HABITAT	LIFESPAN	FAVORITE FOOD
Africa Asia	savanna	20-25 years	acacai leaves
ENEMIES	GENDER DIFFERENCE	AVG. HEIGHT	AVG. WEIGHT
lion	males larger	16-18 feet	1800-2400 pounds
TOP SPEED	GESTATION	BIRTHWEIGHT	BIRTHHEIGHT:
37 mph	15 months	150 pounds	5.5-6 feet
RAISED BY	# OF YOUNG	EYES OPEN	STANDS UP
mother	1, rare twins	at birth	30 mins
WEANED	INDEPENDENT	MATURITY	ENDANGERED?
9-12 months	15-18 months	4-6 years	some subspecies

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giraffe Adaptions

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Giraffe Physical Adaptions

Behavioural Adaptions of a Giraffe

giraffes adaptions to their environment

a few more giraffe facts

Scientific Classification:

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