Marked with jagged spots, the Masai Giraffe, also known as the Kilimanjaro Giraffe, is the largest subspecies of giraffe. As the tallest animals in the world, giraffes have a clear view of their surroundings on the African savanna. With excellent eyesight, they often detect predators and threats from a greater distance than do other animals.
Did You Know?
The giraffe’s six foot long neck contains just seven bones, the same number as other mammals, including you.
Giraffes also use their extended reach to forage on leaves inaccessible to all other savanna dwellers except elephants.
- A foot-and-a-half long tongue can nimbly strip leaves and fruits from a branch.
- Thick saliva protects the giraffe’s tongue from the thorns of its favorite food source, the acacia tree.
- Giraffes spend much of the day feeding and can eat up to 75 pounds a day.
- Weighing up to 25 pounds, a large heart is necessary to pump enough blood to the brain. An average human’s heart weighs less than one pound.