Interesting facts about giraffesOnline Biology Dictionary
The giraffe is the largest ruminant, and the tallest terrestrial animal (really the tallest animal period, since marine animals are normally measured in terms of length rather than height).
One of the other interesting facts about giraffes is that they have the same number of neck vertebrae as do most other mammals (seven). But the vertebrae in a giraffe's neck are far longer than those of other animals (see figure). Though a giraffe's heart is huge — it's 0.6 meters (2 feet) long and weighs about 11 kilograms (25 pounds) — the great height of these animals makes it hard for the heart to pump blood to the brain. This problem is overcome by a series of one-way valves regulating blood supply to the head. Giraffes are also able to put plenty of oxygen into their blood because they have tremendous lungs — they can hold 55 liters (12 gallons) of air.
Like a camel, a giraffe can stock up on water and then go without drinking for long periods of time. They can also run for long distances, as fast — or even faster — than a horse. Giraffes are also unusual in that they sleep far less than most other mammals, typically less then two hours a day (on average, 1.9 hours). Most giraffes have two to four horns, but some have five, the fifth, sometimes just a knob, being located in the center of the forehead.A final interesting fact about giraffes is that there are a variety of very distinct types, which were formerly treated as different species. These were all lumped when it was discovered that they hybridize in the wild.
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