The Giraffe
Giraffa Camelopardalis
The Giraffe is currently listed as VULNERABLE.
Imagine if you were the tallest human in the world. The current record is a little over eight feet tall.
How do you think that compares to a giraffe’s height?
Giraffes are the world’s tallest animals! Can you guess how tall that is? Males can reach 16-20 feet tall and females 14-16 feet tall. Isn’t that incredible! They can live an average of 25 years in the wild and get up to 1,500 to 2,800 pounds.
Are you ready to learn more about these amazing creatures?
Oh look, it’s Gerald
Gerald is a special friend of The Rowdy Bros! He’s going to “help” you all learn about his family and friends.
Psst…sometimes Gerald can get a bit silly, but that’s okay. He’ll show you how awesome Giraffes can be!
“Welcome to Gerald show!
Boys….we haven’t discussed compensation. Am I being paid for this job?”
Oh, Gerald….
“Are you teaching them about ME?”
But wait, before you go into learning mode, how about a riddle?
Are you ready?
I like to use my long tongue
To eat leaves from tops of trees
I don’t have to climb up though
With my long neck it’s a breeze.
What am I?
Did you guess Giraffe?
Awesome job!
Jack’s Brain Exercises, No Heavy Lifting Required!
Hey there, it’s Jack!
Giraffes are one of my favorite animals to see when I go to the zoo with my brothers. It’s also the first animal adventure that we brought Zack on (you can read about that down below)!We hope that you enjoy learning about the tallest animal in the world just as much as we enjoyed getting to tell you all about their species.
Like we said up above, Giraffes are currently listed as vulnerable. We’ll learn a little bit about why and what YOU guys can do to help them before we lose them. It’s so important to learn about our wildlife before they disappear from Earth forever. When we learn about the animals we want to protect, we better understand what we can do to help them.
Want to learn more about The Giraffe? Enjoy these extra learning activities to learn even more about the tallest animal in the world!
Do you like to color? We do too! Enjoy these coloring sheets to enhance your learning about Giraffes. Send us a copy of your creations for a spot on our social media. We love seeing your creations!
Want a printed version of what The Rowdy Bros have taught about The Giraffe? Order a magazine!
Prints are 6×9.
All copyright belongs to TheRowdyBros.com
Item is not available for personal sale
Want a downloadable version of what The Rowdy Bros have taught about The Giraffe? Download their magazine!
Prints are 6×9.
All copyright belongs to TheRowdyBros.com
Item is not available for personal sale
“Is that supposed to be me? Stunning!”
What’s up guys! Mack here.
Did you enjoy the Rowdy Activities that Jack put together for you? I love a good word search, don’t you? And those riddles are always a great game for long car rides.
I wanted to share some facts about our Giraffe friends that I thought were pretty awesome. Facts are a great way to learn all about animals that you want to protect. Like Jack said, when you know more about the animal you know more about how to help make sure that they don’t go extinct. What kind of world would it be if Giraffes weren’t roaming the Savannah, or for many of us, our local zoos?
Giraffes have always held a special place in my heart and I hope that you have a spot for them as well.
Mack’s Quick Facts: The Giraffe
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![Close-up of a giraffe's neck and body showing its characteristic brown and white patch pattern.]()
Giraffes spots are like fingerprints!
Just like humans, each Giraffe has a distinct coat pattern. No two individual Giraffes have exactly the same pattern.
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![Close-up of a baby giraffe looking into the camera with a neutral background.]()
Giraffes have super long tongues!
The Giraffe’s tongue is blue/purple and can get to about 1.5 feet long! They use their tongues to help with eating from trees.
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![Close-up of a giraffe's head against a bright blue sky with a few clouds and trees in the background.]()
Giraffes don't need a lot of water.
In fact, even though Giraffes eat a lot, they don’t drink much water. Most of the water that they need comes from the plants that they eat. They only drink water once every few days!
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![A close-up of a giraffe with a pale sky background, showing its head and long neck with brown spots and ossicones.]()
Giraffes necks help with their diet!
Giraffes are herbivores- do you know what that means? They only eat plants! In fact, their favorite foods are the acacia tree, and their long necks allow them to eat leaves that other herbivores can’t get to. Their tongues also help them pull down the higher leaves.
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![A close-up image of a giraffe looking at the camera with a leafy background.]()
Giraffes necks are too short to reach the ground
Giraffes grow to be between 14 to 19 feet tall, but their necks are only around 7 feet long. To reach the ground, a Giraffe has to awkwardly spread its front legs or kneel.
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![Three giraffes standing outdoors against a background of green trees, bushes, and a partly cloudy blue sky.]()
Giraffes use their necks to fight!
Have you ever seen two male Giraffes fighting? Male Giraffes, or bulls, fight by hitting one another with their long necks and heads. They call this necking, and the fights are usually very dangerous and will go on until one bull gives up and walks away.
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![A group of four giraffes, including a small baby, standing on green grassy land with trees in the background.]()
Giraffes give birth standing up
Baby Giraffes are met with a drop to the ground the second they’re born!
Female Giraffes give birth standing up because of a survival mechanism ingrained in them. Don’t worry though, the babies quickly get up within 30 minutes and stand at about 6 feet tall!
Zack’s Interrogation Station:
Boy do We have Questions for You!
Howdy, it’s Zack!
Have you learned anything interesting about the beautiful Giraffe species from my big brothers? Has there been anything you knew already? What about something new?
Asking questions is a great way to learn more about a species that you want to be able to protect. Do you know what my favorite way of learning is? You got it, asking questions!
Well, the adventures are also pretty great. Boy do I wish we could take you guys too…..
Psst, don’t tell my brothers but, do you ever wonder what it would be like to be a -
Oh no, I hear them coming. Gotta split. Read on to find some great questions and answers all about the Giraffe species!
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The Giraffe’s long neck gives them a lot of advantages! They have excellent vision from the wide view their height provides, it allows them to get higher foliage for their food, and when male Giraffes get angry they use their necks for fighting.
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The Giraffe’s heart has to generate double the normal blood pressure of other mammals to maintain blood flow to the brain against the force of gravity. Giraffes have unusually elastic blood vessels and adapted valves that help to offset blood buildup when they move their heads around.
Fun Fact: Giraffes have the same amount of vertebrae as we do - seven!
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The two hair-covered horns atop their heads are called ossicones. They are covered with skin and hair to protect the head from injury. Males will actually use them when in fights.
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Giraffes spend most of their lives standing up, and will even sleep and give birth standing. Recent studies have shown that they do lie down more frequently than previously believed, and will occasionally sleep with their heads resting on their butts. They even continue to feed and chew in these positions.
“Are you thinking about me?”
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Giraffes are found in the dry savannah of Africa, and recent studies have shown there may actually be four distinct species of Giraffe. They are native to more than 15 African countries
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Giraffes survival in the wild is threatened because of both human impact and natural factors. Humans will hunt Giraffes for their hides, meat, and body parts. They are also quickly losing their living spaces due to an increase in agricultural activities, expanding settlements, and construction. This makes their beloved food source, the acacia tree, limited.
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The wild population of Giraffes has decreased by up to 95% in some areas. Sir David Attenborough even referred to this decline as a “Silent Extinction.” For every three elephants, there is only one Giraffe that remain wild in Africa. Currently their population is estimated at a little over 68,000 adults.
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Sadly, Giraffes are extinct in at least seven African countries.
How You Can Help The Giraffe Species
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Education & Advocation
To help protect wildlife you must first start by educating yourself on the animals you are trying to protect. To protect our Giraffe species we must not only educate ourselves and our communities, but also advocate through our law makers to make sure they’re being protected. Urging law makers to support laws that add the Giraffe species to the U.S. Endangered Species Act, and signing petitions and supporting global trade restrictions also help Giraffes. Never buy Graffe products and when touristing in areas that they naturally live, it’s important to choose ethical tourism.
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The Giraffe Conservation Foundation
The Giraffe Conservation Foundation focuses solely on Giraffe protection and research across 15 African countries. Their goal is to help save Giraffes today before it’s too late tomorrow.
You can learn more at:
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Save Giraffes Now
Save Giraffes Now funds anti-poaching patrols, snare removals, and community coexistence projects. They aim to save Giraffes from extinction with the mission to save Giraffes from extinction so they can live freely and safely in the woodlands and Savannahs of their native Africa.
You can learn more at:
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Wild Nature Institute
The Wild Nature Institution uses science and education to protect the Masai populations in Tanzania. The Masai Giraffes only live in Tanzania and Kenya, and their numbers are dropping quickly due to habitat loss and illegal hunting.
You can learn more at:
Hey guys, do you know why our necks are so long?
Oh, no. No, Gerald, we don’t know. Why?