#KnowledgeBomb - Giraffes

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's @JenSquard

The majestic giraffe - who doesn't love these guys?  Seriously, tell me who and I'll have a talk with them.  They are frickin awesome, and not only gorgeous, but physiologically amazing.

While popular myth says that giraffes have a ton of vertebrae, they have only have seven cervical vertebrae - exactly the same amount that we have.  Their long ass neck certainly poses dangers for them, like bending down to drink, but it is also their biggest defense.  They stay standing for everything, including sleep and birth.  They are thought to only sleep less than an hour a day, in little tiny naps throughout the night.  They rest from time to time, but for full blown sleeping, they rest their neck on their hindquarter and do it as little as possible.

Every giraffe has a unique set of spots, and they can be identified through them, just like fingerprints.  You can also tell their age from their spots - they get darker as they get older.  Hmmm...what else?  Oh yeah, they have horns!  And they're born with them, unlike most mammals.  And these horms are legit horms, not antlers or keratin, they are bone and extend from the skull.  Wanna know my favorite part about giraffes?  Their tongues are black.  Totally rad.

So, about their giant bodies...they are around 16 feet tall and their tongue is over 2 feet long.  They are crazy strong, but super peaceful.  And they can kill an adult lion with a single kick.  The bull giraffes often neck fight by smacking their necks into each other to establish dominance.  It is generally harmless, but pretty terrifying to watch.  They are one of the few "silent" mammals, which just means they don't communicate audibly often, but are capable of it.  They are frickin awesome, and now you know why.

 I would love to hear your thoughts! @JenSquard