A Pair of Giraffes

The giraffe is amazingly designed. The unique design of its lungs, heart, capillaries, and birth process all play vital roles in the giraffe’s survival. The heart has to pump enough blood into the giraffe’s brain while the capillaries have to prevent the high blood pressure from affecting the animal when it bends over to get a drink. The lungs, which are eight times the size of a human’s, provide enough oxygen to the brain. The giraffe gives birth while standing up. Such a fall would mean certain death to the newborn except for the fact that the mother lowers its young to the ground slowly through use of the after-birth.


  • The giraffe is the tallest animal in the world.
  • Each giraffe has a specific set of markings unlike any other giraffe.
  • The giraffe has two or three “horns” on its head called ossicones.

Fun Facts

  • The giraffe has only seven vertebrae in its long neck.
  • A giraffe’s heart is over 25 lbs (11 kg) which allows it to pump blood all the way up its long neck.
  • The giraffe actually has the longest tail—almost 8 ft (2.4 m)—of any mammal.

Created Kind Members


CLASS: Mammalia (mammal)
ORDER: Artiodactyla (even-toed hooves)
FAMILY: Giraffidae (giraffes and okapis)
GENUS/SPECIES: Giraffa camelopardalis

Size: Up to 14–18 ft (4.3–5.5 m) tall
Weight: Males: 3,000 lbs (1,360 kg); Females: 1,500 lbs (680 kg)
Original Diet: Plants
Present Diet: The leaves of the mimosa and acacia trees
Habitat: Savannas of Africa