[Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata]
Habitat: Savannas and open woodlands
Height: 14-18'
Weight: Males (1,700-4,000 lbs) Female (1,200-2,500 lbs)
Max Lifespan: 28 years
Gestation Period: 15 months
Number of Young: 1
Horns: Male & Female

- tallest animal in the world
- can run at speeds up to 35 mph
- spends 10-14 hours per day feeding
- can eat 75 lbs of vegation per day
- the two bony growths on their head are called "ossicones".
- neck can grow to 8 ft in length and weigh up to 500 lbs
- able to go weeks without water
- typically sleeps from 1-20 minutes at a time
- every giraffe has a unique pattern of spots, like a fingerprint
- giraffes do not sweat or pant
- unlike most other herd animals, giraffe herds have no leader
- long, muscular, prehensile tongue enables giraffes to eat thorny foods
- walks by swinging both legs on one side of the body forward at the same time
- uses front legs to strike predators
- male giraffes fight other males by striking them with the side of their head like a sledgehammer (males have extra bone deposits on their skull for this purpose)