How many bones does a giraffe have

Giraffe physics Characteristics

Giraffes are the tallest terrestrial animals and have a unique and also enigmatic appearance. They have a body architecture that is very different from any type of others the end there. As result of how high they room it is difficult to think that they can weigh for this reason much. A complete grown male giraffe deserve to weigh as much as 2,600 pounds when females are rather a little smaller around 1,800 pounds.

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SizeEvidently, the an initial thing that grabs our fist is the great height they have which oscillates in between 15 and 20 feet, being the males higher than females.

Giraffes differ in dimensions follow to the gender and also the species, yet even the the smallest are large for us. Together the males have actually larger dimensions than the females, there is sexual dimorphism in this animal.

The human body of the giraffe is reasonably little contrasted to the size of other body parts, however its bone framework supports the substantial weight of its organs and also its long neck, which allow it to achieve fast speeds once running.

The load of the females varieties from 1,200 to 2,500 pounds, but the mean is 1,800 lbs. In males, this is higher, since their average weight is 2,600 pounds, and also the range goes from 1,800 to virtually 4,400 pounds.

Their tail is thin and also measures from 32 to 40 inch in length.

OssiconesThe strange protuberances that giraffes have actually on the head comparable to horns are called “ossicones” to identify them from the antlers the other pets since lock are different from these. They space two knobs of an ossified cartilage of around 5 inches and covered v fur. This structures room a means of distinguishing genders because those that the females space thinner and with a much more hair than those the the males which room thicker and with very small or no fur.

The researchers think that the primary function of these ossicones is concerned body thermoregulation, yet they are likewise effective because that battles between males.

Some develop a bump on the forehead that has the appearance of a 3rd ossicone, and also one species looks choose having five of them. It is common for male individuals to flourish calcium deposits on the head as they acquire old which give them this appearance.

Giraffe coat patterns.

SkinThe coat style of giraffes is among their many striking features. Follow to the subspecies, the sort of pattern varies, however besides that, every giraffe has a unique and unrepeatable pattern of point out that gain darker through age, however never readjust their design.

The skin the the giraffes has actually a characteristics smell the repels insects and parasites and also the dark components also function as a thermoregulation system. Brown, dark orange, irradiate brown and also beige space the main colors in the coats of giraffes.

HeadThe head that a giraffe is small and quite lengthy with a rounded mouth in ~ the end of it. Lock feature little ears the look like those the a deer ~ above the political parties of their ossicones.

Face and also tongueThe challenge of giraffes has actually a friendly and also peaceful look. They have big brown eyes with long lashes that defend them from the glare of the sun. Their tongue is prehensile, dark and also measures between 18 and also 20 inch long. That is used to organize their food and take that to your mouth, and to clean their nose. A collection of papillae safeguard the lips, tongue, and interior of the mouth indigenous the dangerous thorn of the plants and also trees that giraffes eat, prefer the Acacia tree.The extra long and also prehensile tongue of the giraffe additionally helps them to clean bugs off their face as well as to reach an extremely high because that food sources in the trees.

The lips of the giraffe are very thick to aid protect them during eating. Many of the twigs and trees the they eat have actually sharp facets that might harm castle if they weren’t.

NeckThe lengthy and an effective neck of giraffes is their many characteristic feature, measuring up to 6.5 feet in length and also formed by seven cervical vertebrae as in various other mammals, including the human being, but with the distinction that every of vertebrae has a large size getting to up come 11 inches.

The 7 individual vertebrates that the giraffe’s neck have specific joints which give them flexibility. The shoulders that these pets are additionally robust to organize up that huge neck. The two are anchored together with a range of muscle so the there no strain ~ above the shoulders.

The head and neck of the giraffe room attached come the human body by a collection of muscles and also ligaments that join the long vertebrae, giving the pet a pronounce hump in ~ the start of the neck.

Giraffe tongue.

LegsThe foot of a giraffe are really long, thin however incredibly powerful. The is what they usage for protection versus predators. If they have the right to run up to 35 miles every hour, lock can’t do it for really long. What is exciting is that they relocate both legs on the very same side in ~ the same time once walking. However, once galloping, they relocate the two front legs and then the two back ones.

StomachThe stomach the the giraffe is also very sophisticated as it has 4 chambers as all ruminants. Lock chew the food, regurgitate it, chew that again, and then pass it come the stomach. This organ deserve to digest food an extremely well, so most foods items are provided positively because that the body.

Other features

To save up with this distinct anatomy the giraffe likewise has a very unusual circulatory system. The heart of giraffes is another singularity in the animal world. It has up come 2 feet long and weighs around 24 pounds and can pump 16 come 20 gallons the blood per minute, a size vital to acquire the blood all the method up to the mind properly. However, its anatomy also prevents the the brain gets too much blood as soon as they giraffe lowers its head to eat or drink water.

They have actually teeth adjusted to herbivorous feeding, so they cannot usage the to defend against other pets or come tear food.

They are not swimmers and also getting right into the water provides their movements and coordination difficult, but sometimes they should cross rivers or lakes.

References

Animals. A intuitive encyclopedia. Smithsonian Magazine. Web page 96, 97.

Bryan Shorrocks. The Giraffe: Biology, Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour. Man Wiley & Sons, Aug 8, 2016. Page 42.

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Anne Innis Dagg. Giraffe: Biology, Behaviour and also Conservation. Cambridge university Press, 2014. Page 100.