Giraffes Drive | Nat Geo Wild

A giraffe is a tall, long-necked mammal native to the African savannah. It is known for its distinctive appearance, with its long neck and legs, and its unique spotted coat. Giraffes are the tallest living terrestrial animals, with males reaching heights of up to 18 feet (5.5 meters) and weighing up to 3,000 pounds (1,360 kilograms). They have a specialized cardiovascular system that allows them to pump blood up their #long necks to reach their brains #giraffes have exceptionally strong hearts #their hearts are about two feet long and #weigh approximately 25 pounds
#that's equal to about 50 human hearts #because of the great distance between a
#giraffe's heart and its brain due to the #animal's long neck its heart has evolved
#thick muscular walls #thanks to these powerful walls a #giraffe's blood pressure can be two #times higher than many other animals #this helps the giraffe's heart defy #gravity and push blood up its long neck #and into its brain #giraffes have the same number of neck #bones as humans #both humans and giraffes only have seven #bones in their necks #human neck bones are only half an inch #tall while giraffe bones are 10 inches #tall #this means giraffe necks can grow to be #about 6 feet long and weigh 600 pounds #giraffes necks may also be used in
#day giraffes can survive on 5 to 30 #minutes of sleep each day which they get #through a series of one to two minute #naps they can even get their rest while #standing #giraffes sleep this way out of necessity #they devote 16 to 20 hours each day to #eating which leaves little time for much #plus sleeping especially while lying #down exposes giraffes to predators #giraffe populations are vulnerable #found only in giraffe #populations plummeted up to about 40 #percent between 1985 and 2015 #the animals are killed for their coats #or meat especially in poor countries #like south Sudan #but they are also hunted specifically #for their tails which are considered #status symbols in some Congolese #communities #no other creature on the planet is quite #like the giraffe #their height and long necks powerful #hearts and staccato sleeping style #asily make the creatures unique