Let's Talk About Giraffes

Tweet

Aren't giraffes good-looking creatures? Obviously their most distinguishing features is their long neck, so let's talk about that. Like most mammals (including humans) giraffes have seven cervical vertebrae but theirs are huge, like 10 inches long each, which is why their necks are so long. Their vertebrae are connected by ball-and-socket joints, so that their necks can be flexible and bend. Their necks alone can weigh up to 600 pounds, which sounds crazy, but that's why their necks have really strong muscles and some sort of special ligaments to help them hold their heads up. The purpose of their longs necks is so that they can scan the environment for predators from high above and eat the foliage high up in trees. Do you like how giraffes look?