Why do giraffes have such long necks?

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A giraffe’s most famous feature is probably its graceful, elegant, and really long neck! So, why do giraffes have these neat necks??

The giraffe’s neck is a special feature that helps it to do all the things it needs to do! One easy-to-see advantage to having a long neck is that it helps a giraffe to reach leaves at the top of trees that they can eat. When there’s a shortage of plants at ground-level, giraffes can do something other animals can’t: they just reach up high for a meal! Giraffes can also use their necks to see out over distances, and know if any predators are coming.

But many scientists don’t think that reaching up high for food and seeing far distances are the only ways giraffes find their long necks to be useful. Some say that male giraffes use their necks for fighting, which helps them to attract female giraffes and find a mate!

Giant Giraffes!

Giraffes don’t just have giant necks, they also have giant tongues! – A giraffe’s tongue can be as long as 20 inches!

Did you know that giraffes are the tallest animal? Most giraffes’ necks alone are about six feet long – bigger than most of the grown-ups you know!

In order to keep their tall selves fueled, giraffes eat about 75 pounds of leaves every day. WHOA!