How Tall Is A Giraffe ?
A giraffe is the tallest of all terrestrial animals on the globe. On an average, an adult male giraffe stands tall at 4.3 meters long, which is about 14 feet. But some grow taller, up to 5.2 meters, which is 17 feet. The tallest ever giraffe as recorded by man is 6 meters (20 feet) high! In fact, a new born baby of a giraffe measures around 2 meters that is 6 feet in length. This is the height of a tall man. |
The tallness of a giraffe is mainly contributed by two of its body parts. One is its neck, and the other is its legs. The neck of the animal is disproportionately long, measuring around 2 meters (6 feet) in length. On examination, it has been found that this extraordinary length is due to the skeletal make-up of the area. The cervical vertebra there is unusually long giving it such a height. The legs are also made up of strong and very long bones. This height comes in handy to giraffes while protecting themselves from their predators. The animals which are most dangerous to them are lion and hyena, both of whose speeds are more than that of giraffe’s. Thus, even if they catch up on giraffe’s and try to overpower it; a giraffe can only kick the animal away. Its limbs are so strong that one forceful kick from their side is enough to break the bones of the predators. Also, their predators, being much shorter than the giraffes try to bring it down before preying on it. This sometimes takes a bit more time for them, which in turn, gives the giraffes much time to protect themselves. Thus, their height comes as a very big advantage here.
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Exotic Pet :
What Do Giraffes Eat ?
 The giraffe is usually around 4.3 meters to 5.2 meters long and weighs over 2000 pounds. So obviously, an animal of such dimensions would need a lot of feeding. And giraffe is no exception. This large animal is essentially an herbivorous animal. This is mainly due to its exceptional height. Experts believe that this is because most animals are not being even close to the base of a giraffe’s neck. So, the animal has restricted or no access to other animals. Also in plants and trees, they have to feed themselves on such ones which are at par with their height. But since they can stoop down to eat grass; many do not believe this theory. More..
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