I have always admired giraffes for their long necks and knobby knees, but I became truly obsessed with them over a year ago when I got to feed them at the zoo. Through that trip, I realized that I had found my soul animal. No other animal could so perfectly match my height, clumsiness and overall goofiness as the giraffe. Here are some of the top reasons they're my favs.
1. THEY'RE SO FREAKING TALL.
I don't know if you've noticed, but giraffes are quite tall. They're not just tall; they're the tallest animals on the entire planet. Their height is rivaled by none. Literally. The average male giraffe stands 5.8 meters (about 19 feet) tall. Its closest competitor, the male elephant, is typically 3.6 meters (almost 12 feet) tall. That's a pretty lengthy difference (pun intended).
2. They fight — get this — WITH THEIR NECKS.
As with any four-legged, long-necked animal, lifting and maneuvering front legs to have some detrimental effect is rather difficult. The hind legs are good for kicking, but the giraffe has to be at a certain angle for that to work, so what do they do? They violently swing their necks at each other to settle anything from a family spat to a full-fledged giraffe argument. Observe. IT LOOKS SO SILLY BUT ALSO EFFECTIVE.
3. They're graceful, but can also be very silly and clumsy.
Watching a giraffe run is one of the most graceful things I've ever witnessed. On the other hand, watching giraffes necking or walking for the first time are some of the funniest things I've ever seen. Their limbs are just so gangly they don't know what to do with them sometimes.
4. They have the same number of vertebrae as humans.
Each giraffe has seven cervical vertebrae, just like every human, and yet they are infinitely more flexible than humans. Or this human, at least.
5. They have a special "net" that allows them to drink water without their heads exploding.
It takes a lot of force to pump blood to a giraffe's brain, so it makes sense that when a giraffe bends over, too much blood would go to its brain because gravity would then be helping — or, rather, hindering. If this were to happen, every giraffe would die the first time it bent down to drink water. However, there is a unique set of artery walls and other bloody things that form something called the rete mirabile, or "marvelous net," to keep too much blood from flooding the head.
6. Every giraffe's pattern is unique.
Just like every human is different, every giraffe is different. Each one has a pattern that no giraffe has ever had, has or will have.
7. They're gorgeous and so soft.
Usually I don't like orange (Go Cocks!), but giraffes are such a beautiful blend of orange, yellow and brown that I can't help but love their coloring, and they're actually covered in thin layers of fur, which makes them even better to touch.
8. They have purple tongues.
Not really, really red — purple. It can be quite striking if you're not expecting it. Besides looking like a grape popsicle, giraffe tongues are incredibly long. Their tongues are typically 21 inches long, because, you know, sometimes they're just not tall enough to reach the top of the tree.
9. Feeding them is so fun and also terrifying.
As excited as I was to feed them, I was also kind of scared of their long, purple tongues and bold nature. If you're holding the leaves, you're the one that they want.
10. I relate to them on a personal level.
For example, I, too, came out of the womb at 6 feet tall.
Not really, but as one of the tallest girls I know, I relate to their tallness, and I think it just might be possible that they're as clumsy as I am. All in all, you couldn't ask for a more fantastic animal in my opinion.
