Giraffes live in herds of related females and their offspring. Males establish social hierarchies through "necking", combat bouts where the neck is used as a weapon. Dominant males gain mating access to females, which bear sole responsibility for raising the young.
.jpg)
Males develop calcium deposits that form bumps on their skulls as they age. The giraffe can reach a sprint speed of up to 60 km/h (37 mph), and can sustain 50 km/h (31 mph) for several kilometres. A giraffe rests by lying with its body on top of its folded legs.
The circulatory system of the giraffe has several adaptations for its great height. Its 11 kg (25 lb) and 60 cm (2 ft) heart must generate approximately double the blood pressure required for a human to maintain blood flow to the brain. As such, the wall of the heart can be as thick as 7.5 cm (3.0 in). Giraffes have relatively high heart rates for their size, at 150 beats per minute.
A giraffe eats around 34 kg (75 lb) of plant matter daily. When stressed, giraffes may chew on large branches, stripping them of bark. Giraffes are also recorded to chew old bones.
Sources:
(*) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giraffe
(*) https://www.krugerpark.co.za/africa_giraffe.html
(*) https://www.awf.org/wildlife-conservation/giraffe
By Steve Garvie from Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland - Reticulated Giraffe drinking, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11947378
.jpg)
It is the tallest living terrestrial animal. Fully grown giraffes stand 4.3–5.7 m (14.1–18.7 ft) tall, with males taller than females. The average weight is 1,192 kg (2,628 lb) for an adult male and 828 kg (1,825 lb) for an adult female.
The circulatory system of the giraffe has several adaptations for its great height. Its 11 kg (25 lb) and 60 cm (2 ft) heart must generate approximately double the blood pressure required for a human to maintain blood flow to the brain. As such, the wall of the heart can be as thick as 7.5 cm (3.0 in). Giraffes have relatively high heart rates for their size, at 150 beats per minute.
A giraffe eats around 34 kg (75 lb) of plant matter daily. When stressed, giraffes may chew on large branches, stripping them of bark. Giraffes are also recorded to chew old bones.
Sources:
(*) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giraffe
(*) https://www.krugerpark.co.za/africa_giraffe.html
(*) https://www.awf.org/wildlife-conservation/giraffe