Content
- The giraffe's neck and spine
- Giraffe Physical Characteristics
- How many vertebrae does the giraffe's neck have?
- What is a giraffe's neck for?
- 9 fun facts about giraffes
From Lamarck to the present day, passing through Darwin's theories, the evolution of the giraffe's neck it has always been at the center of all investigations. Why is the giraffe's neck big? What is your function?
This is not the only defining characteristic of giraffes, they are one of the largest animals currently living on Earth, and one of the heaviest. In this PeritoAnimal article, we'll talk about because the giraffe's neck is big and other curiosities about this animal so beautiful and intriguing.
The giraffe's neck and spine
The spine is the defining feature of a large group of animals, the vertebrates. Each species has a single spine, developed for the specific needs of these groups of animals.
Usually, the spine extends from the base of the skull to the pelvic girdle and, in some cases, continues to form the tail. It consists of bone and fibrocartilaginous tissue, structured in discs or vertebrae that overlap each other. The number of vertebrae and their shape varies according to the corresponding species.
Generally, in a spinal column there are five groups of vertebrae:
- Cervicals: correspond to the vertebrae located in the neck. The first of all, which attaches to the skull, is called "atlas" and the second "axis".
- Thoracic: From the base of the neck to the end of the chest, where there are no more ribs.
- Lumbars: are the vertebrae of the lumbar region.
- sacred: vertebrae that meet at the hip.
- Coccygeal: end vertebrae of tailed vertebrate animals.
Giraffe Physical Characteristics
The giraffe, Giraffa camelopardalis, it is a unguligrade belonging to the Artiodactyla order, as it has two fingers on each hull. It shares some characteristics with deer and cattle, for example, as its stomach has four chambers, it is a ruminant animal, and has no incisor or canine teeth in the upper jaw. It also has characteristics that distinguish it from these animals: its horns are covered inskin and its lower canines have two lobes.
It is one of the largest and heavy animals in the world. They can reach almost 6 meters in height, an adult giraffe can reach a ton and a half of weight.
Although many people wonder how many meters are the giraffe's neck what is certain is that, besides, it is the animal with the longest legs. The bones of the fingers and feet are very long. The ulna and radius of the forelimbs and the tibia and fibula of the hindquarters are usually fused and are also long. But the bones that are actually elongated in this species are the bones that correspond to the feet and hands, that is, the tarsi, metatarsals, carpus and metacarpals. Giraffes, like the rest of the unguligrades, walk on tiptoe.
How many vertebrae does the giraffe's neck have?
the giraffe's neck is stretched, just like the legs. They don't have an exorbitant number of vertebrae, the truth is that these vertebrae are exaggeratedly elongated.
Like all mammals except sloths and manatees, giraffes have seven vertebrae in the neck, or cervical vertebrae. The vertebrae of an adult male giraffe can measure up to 30 centimeters in length, so its neck can, in total, measure up to 2 meters.
The sixth vertebra in the neck of unguligrades is different in shape than the rest, but in giraffes it is very similar to the third, fourth, and fifth. The last cervical vertebra, the seventh, is also similar to the others, while in other unguligrades this last vertebra became the first thoracic vertebra, that is, it has a pair of ribs.
What is a giraffe's neck for?
From Lamarck and his theory on the evolution of species, before Darwin's theory, the giraffe's neck utility was already much discussed.
Early studies suggest that the length of the giraffe's neck served to reach the highest branches of theacacia, trees on which giraffes feed, so that individuals with longer necks had more food at their disposal. This theory was later discredited.
What observation of these animals taught is that giraffes use their necks to defend from other animals. They also use it during courtship, when male giraffes fight each other, striking necks and horns.
9 fun facts about giraffes
In addition to the questions we mentioned earlier about how many vertebrae have a giraffe's neck, how many meters is the giraffe's neck, because the giraffe's neck is big, these are some of the fun facts about giraffes more interesting and that you certainly had no idea:
- Giraffes sleep between 20 minutes to 2 hours a day;
- Giraffes spend most of the day on their feet;
- Giraffe mating rituals last a maximum of 2 minutes;
- Giraffes are extremely peaceful animals;
- Giraffes drink very little water;
- In just one step a giraffe can reach 4 meters away;
- Giraffes can reach up to 20 km/hour;
- The giraffe's tongue can reach 50 cm;
- Giraffes make flute-like noises;
Learn more about giraffes in this PeritoAnimal article.
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