What special adaptations does a giraffe s neck have

Asked sabrinah recently.

A giraffes brain is used to having blood pumped up to it, and so, without special adaptations, lowering its head to the ground to drink could result in a sudden increase in blood pressure, causing the giraffe to faint. To cope with this problem a giraffes neck veins contain special valves and a network of extremely elastic blood vessels, which prevent any sudden rush of blood to the head.

Q. How tall are giraffes

A. A giraffe can grow up to six metres, making it the tallest mammal.

Q. What do giraffes eat

A. Thanks to Henryn for an answer to this question that came up recently. Giraffes feed mainly on acacia leaves using their long tongues to grasp even the remotest of leaves. You can differentiate males and females from their feeding habits: males reach their heads up to feed, while females lower theirs.

Giraffes spend most of the day, up to 20 hours, foraging for and eating food.

Q. What other uses do giraffes necks have

A. They sometimes use them for fighting: males wrestle each other with them when competing for females. They also give them quite an advantage when spotting predators in the distance as well as allowing them to keep an eye on members of their own group.

Q. How do giraffes sleep with such long necks

A. Giraffe's can rest while they're standing, keeping one eye open for danger, however, they do go into deep sleep for up to 15 minutes. When in a deep sleep they bend their neck backwards over their body with their chin on the ground and their neck stretched out along a leg.

Giraffes do also lie down to sleep, but usually for not more than twenty minutes: if a predator approached it would take them valuable time to get up and run away. When they're travelling at top speed giraffes can run up to 35mph.

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by Lisa Cardy