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Giraffe Facts
* Their average lifespan is 25 years
* They can grow up to 19 feet tall
* An adult can weigh anywhere between 1,750 lbs. and 4,000 lbs.
* Their neck alone weighs 550 lbs.
* They are the world’s tallest mammal
* They can run up to 35 miles per hour
* Their tongue is nearly 2 feet long
* Their tongue is black
* They can go long periods without drinking water
* No two giraffes have the same spot pattern
* They only sleep in increments ranging from 1 – 12 minutes, in total on average they sleep 1.9 hours a day
* Male giraffes are known to neck wrestle
* They have excellent eyesight
* The term giraffe means “one who walks swiftly”
* An adult’s heart weighs 24 lbs. on average
* They sleep and give birth standing upright
* When a calf is born they fall 6 feet to the ground
* They have been known to eat 140 lbs of leaves a day
* The giraffe has been portrayed in art as early as the year 1486
* “Giraffes are one of the few species of mammal to perceive color” (www.giraffelearningzone.com)
* They were originally thought to be the result of a camel and leopard mating
REFERENCES
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/giraffe.html
http://www.randomgiraffefacts.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giraffe
