Animal Facts > Giraffe

The giraffe is the tallest of all living animal species. Males can be 16 to 18 feet tall and weigh up to 2000 pounds. Females are generally shorter and weigh less.

The giraffe is native to Africa and its closest relative is the okapi. The species name (camelopardalis) translates to camel leopard. There are nine sub-species of giraffe.

The giraffe is best known for its long neck. The surprising fact about the giraffe's neck is that it does not contain more vertebrae then the average mammal. The normal 7 cervical vertebrae are just greatly enlarged.

A giraffe will use it's 18 inch tongue to clean bugs off of it's face. The tongue, besides being extremely long, is very tough on account of the the giraffe's diet, which often consists of thorns of the tree trunks they feed on. The giraffe can eat up to 140 pounds of leaves and twigs daily.

The life expectancy of a giraffe in the wild is 20 to 25 years. It can extend to 28 years in captivity.