Giraffe is such an enthralling animal as it is the tallest of all other animals living on land. The name “giraffe” is derived from Arabic word “Xirapha” which means that ‘one who can run fast’. These animals are mostly found in East Africa and south of Sahara.

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Facts about Giraffes

Giraffes are commonly known for their height. Height of a male giraffe can reach up to 5 meters and it weighs 1300 kg. As far as females are concerned, they are somehow shorter in height (4.3 meters) and lesser in weight. Their scientific classification is as follows:

  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Chordata
  • Class: Mammalia
  • Order: Artiodactyla
  • Family: Giraffidae
  • Genus: Giraffa


What do Giraffes Eat?

Giraffes are found in woodlands so their main food is leaves and branches. Giraffes mostly like to eat early in the morning. Male giraffe likes to eat upper parts of leaves while females eat lower parts. Giraffes can eat up to 65 pounds of leaves in a day and despite of this fact their food intake is lesser than other grazing animals because the shrubbery they eat is rich in nutrition. Their digesting system is very efficient. Other things that they eat include:

  • Seedpods
  • Fruits
  • Flowers
  • Thorns
  • Climbing plants
  • Acacia Tree
  • Wild Apricot trees

Being a ruminant, it firstly chews the food then swallows it and reiterates food back to their mouths to chew semi-digested food properly. A most astonishing fact concerning their eating habits is that they don’t drink water very often and can live for a week without water.

Other Amazing Facts

  • Length of a giraffe’s tongue is 27 inches by which it holds leaves of a tree.
  • The average life of a giraffe is 25 years.
  • The length of a step taken by a giraffe is 15 feet.
  • A giraffe’s kick is so tough that it can kill a lion.
  • In a giraffe’s fur there are insects which are eaten by the birds sitting on their back. In this way, giraffes remain clean.
  • Its flexible neck helps it to drink water from a flowing stream.