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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.
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The giraffe’s six foot long neck contains just seven bones, the same number as other mammals, including you.
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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.