It’s no secret that the giraffe is the tallest animal on the planet, but that’s far from the most interesting fact about them. Giraffes are hoofed mammals and their only living relative is the okapi, which is also known as the zebra giraffe. There are approximately eight subspecies of extant giraffes, with the most common being the Masai giraffe and the most endangered being the West African giraffe. Giraffes primarily live in West Africa, including the countries of Chad, Cameroon, DR Congo, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Niger, Somalia, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Tanzania and South Africa. They flourish is savannahs and woodlands, consuming mostly leaves, fruits and flowers.
Giraffes are currently the largest living terrestrial animal, standing between 14-17ft (female) and 16-19ft (male) in height. Their legs alone are approximately 6ft tall. Their necks may be tall, however, they aren’t tall enough to touch the ground and giraffes must spread their front legs or kneel to drink water. Luckily, giraffes only need to drink every few days and most of their water consumption comes from the plants they eat. They spend the majority of their lives standing up and even sleep or give birth while standing. However, they only need approximately 5 to 30 minutes of sleep in a 24 hour period. Giraffe spots are similar to human finger prints in that no two are the same.
Throughout popular culture, there have been many giraffe characters. Notably, we have Melman (voiced by David Schwimmer) of “Madagascar,” Daniel (voiced by Wes Anderson) of “Sing” and Bridget (voiced by Janeane Garofalo” of “The Wild.”
In honor of all the giraffes out there doing their thing, take a look at 85 gorgeous giraffe tattoos. Then let us know your favorite tattoo from this list in the comments section on social media.
Source: www.inkedmag.com