Interesting facts about giraffes

• Giraffes measure 16 to 18 feet tall and weigh up to 3,000 lbs. The record-sized bull was 19.2 feet tall and weighed in at 4,400 lbs.
• Every giraffe has a unique pattern of spots.
• Their tongues are distinctly blue-black colored to protect from sunburn.
• A giraffe’s heart can weigh up to 24 lbs. and measure 2 feet long.
• Male giraffes determine female fertility by tasting the female’s urine in order to detect estrus.
• Giraffe mothers carry their fetus for 14 to 15 months, and when the calf is born it is around 5’10” tall.
• Life expectancy for a giraffe is between 20 and 25 years.
• Males engage in necking, which is described as a combat function. These battles can sometimes be fatal, and occur as a process of sexual selection.
• Same sex relations among male giraffes are more frequent that heterosexual behavior. The above mentioned necking can also be affectionate and sexual, in which two males will caress and court each other, leading up to mounting and climax. At any given time, one in twenty males will be engaged in affectionate necking behavior with another male. Females on the other hand, only appear to have same sex relations in 1% of mounting incidents.
• A giraffe can eat up to 140 lbs. of twigs and leaves a day.
• The giraffe defends itself against threats by kicking with great force. A single well-placed kick of an adult giraffe can shatter a lion's skull or break its spine.
• The giraffe has one of the shortest sleep requirements of any mammal, which is between 10 minutes and two hours in a 24-hour period.