North Carolina Zoos, Aquariums and Wildlife

Ancient Romans called giraffes "camelopards," describing them as hybrid animals with camel bodies and leopard spots. The giraffe's species name, camelopardalis, includes this name.

A giraffe's tongue can be up to 27 inches long. It is also prehensile, which means it can grab and hold onto objects.

Giraffes are the tallest of all land animals and are also one of the most peaceful.

Groups of giraffes are called herds.

Adult male giraffes are called bulls, adult females are cows, and a younger giraffe of either sex is a calf.

Adult male giraffes height range from 14' to as much as 20', and weigh about 2800 pounds. An average female reaches 14 to 15 feet.

Giraffes can live as long as 27 years, but their average life span is about 10 years.

A giraffe's kick can kill a lion.

A large male giraffe can eat as much as 100 pounds of food a day.

When a giraffe goes into a deep sleep - for about one minute at a time - it curls its neck back and rests its head on its rump. Giraffes sleep no more than 5 to 30 minutes in a 24-hour period.

Giraffes from different parts of Africa have different coat patterns and the darker the spots, the older the giraffe.

There is only one species of giraffe.

It's a myth that giraffes are mute. They are normally silent, but calves can bleat, cows bellow to find their calves, and giraffes will also give warning snorts, moans, and hisses. Flute-like sounds made by giraffes have also been reported.

One theory as to why a giraffe's tongue is black is to prevent it from being sunburned.

Giraffes are not territorial.

A giraffe's heart is 2 feet long. When giraffes raise their heads from drinking or eating, the heart has to do a double beat in order to pump enough blood to the brain to avoid a blackout.

The giraffe's enemies are lions, large packs of hyenas and man.