Today on their safari, Harvey and his friends saw some pretty amazing creatures...
Giraffes!
The giraffes were beautiful to look at, and Harvey was pretty impressed by them! Here are some things our friends learned about giraffes from their tour guides.
Giraffes are the tallest land animals in the entire world, and can grow to be over 18 feet tall!
Giraffes are known for their long necks, which are about 6 feet long. But did you know their legs are also about 6 feet long? No wonder they're so tall!
One very special feature of a giraffe is its ability to control its blood pressure. Bending its long neck down to drink water from the waterhole should give a giraffe a head rush, but God designed it in such a way that it can keep the blood from rushing to its head. Isn't God amazing?
A giraffe's tongue is almost 21 inches long! That's very helpful for getting leaves off the acacia trees a giraffe loves to eat.
Giraffes eat a lot. They are herbivores, meaning they don't eat meat. Their diet is tree leaves, and they eat up to 75 pounds of food a day!
What about those things growing out of the giraffe's head? They're not antlers. Those bumps are called ossicones, and both males and females have them. They start out as cartilage, but as the giraffe ages, they turn into bone and become fused to the giraffe's skull. They are covered in skin and fur like the rest of the giraffe's body.
No two giraffes look exactly the same. Their markings and patterns are just as unique as human fingerprints!
A baby giraffe is called a calf, and it will usually learn to stand up on its own about an hour after its birth. By the time it is 10 hours old, it can already run around!
Giraffes are very social animals. They live in groups called towers and communicate with each other using a low humming sound that humans can't hear. Staying together as a group helps keep them safe.
If they need to, giraffes can defend themselves by using a karate-style kick that can be deadly. They also have an ability to run up to 35 miles per hour for short distances.
