The giraffe is the tallest animal on earth. Male giraffes can grow up to 5.5 metres (18 feet) tall and weigh up to 900 kilograms (2000 pounds).

It is believed, that the name giraffe comes from the Arabic word "zarafah" meaning "the one who walks swiftly".

Because of the giraffe's height, its heart weighing up to 24 lb (10 kg) has to generate around double the normal blood pressure in order to maintain blood flow to the brain against gravity.

Giraffes feed on trees and shrubs. They use rubbery lips and very long tongues (up to 45 cm long) to pick through the acacia tree’s spiky branches, which is their favorite food.

Giraffes only sleep for a few minutes at a time and have one of the shortest sleep requirements of any mammal – something between 20 minutes and two hours a day.

Gestation at giraffes lasts 15 months, after which a single calf is born. Approximately fifty per cent of newborn giraffes die in their first 6 months, becoming the victims of predators.

Giraffes were thought to be mute until the recent studies that have shown that the animals communicate at an infrasound level.

The long necks make it easier for giraffes to reach the food sources, but at the same time they make it extremely difficult for the same creatures to drink.

Guide and web directory to giraffes