Facts about giraffes you might not know
Despite being incredibly tall, giraffes still only have seven vertebrae in their neck - the same number as humans and most other mammals
A giraffe’s neck is too short to reach the ground. As a result, it has to awkwardly spread or bend its front legs to reach the ground for a drink of water.
Unlike most other four-legged mammals, giraffes swing both legs on the same side at almost the same time during their walk, known as ‘pacing’. This movement is lost, however, when the giraffe breaks into a gallop.
The gestation period for a giraffe is 457 days, which is about 15 months. Generally, only a single baby is born.
About 50% of all giraffe calves do not survive their first year.
Giraffes have an efficient nasal cooling system to regulate brain temperature up to 3°C lower than the rest of the body.
Tto protect the giraffe’s brain from sudden changes in blood pressure when it lowers its head to drink, it has valves to stop the back-flow of blood and elastic-walled vessels that dilate and constrict to manage flow.
.great animals.
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