The Giraffe

Can you name the tallest mammal? If you said giraffe, you are correct. The male giraffe is taller than the female giraffe. Did you know that the male giraffe can get as tall as 19 feet? The female giraffe is still very tall. She gets as tall as 16 feet. The giraffe is a heavy mammal. A male giraffe can weigh between 2,000–3,000 pounds.

In the wild, the giraffe usually lives about 25 years. The giraffe lives mostly in Central, Eastern, and Southern Africa. A giraffe makes its home on the savannas of Africa. The savanna has tall trees, arid land, open plains, and forests. The giraffe eats leaves from the trees for nourishment. They usually eat the leaves of the acacia tree. A giraffe can go a very long time without drinking water. It is able to get moisture from the tree leaves.

The giraffe is a social animal, which means that it likes to live in groups with other giraffes, called herds. These herds can get very large and are not organized in any specific way. Because giraffes have such interesting coats, they are often hunted. They are also hunted for their meat and tails. The tails are made into good-luck bracelets. Unfortunately, there are no current laws protecting the giraffe.