Why the Giraffe Has Such a Long Neck

Behaviour, Ritualistic Display & Physiology of the G. Camelopardalis

Aug 19, 2009

The giraffe is the world's tallest land mammal, growing to approximately 5-6 meters tall. Their long necks are used for feeding, fighting and ritualistic displays.

Giraffes inhabit open woodlands, grasslands and savannahs of Central and South Africa. Related to the cow, the giraffe is the tallest land mammal and the largest ruminant (even-toes hoofed mammal – suborder Ruminantia). The giraffe’s height is an adaptation for feeding allowing them to reach the freshest leaves at the tops of trees.

It also allows then a great range of vision and should a giraffe see a predator or other danger, it is able to run away at speeds of up to 56 kilometers per hour (34 miles per hour). If a giraffe is forced to fight an attacker, it will use its front hooves to strike out or swing its head around like a club.

If a giraffe wants to eat grass or drink from a stream it must splay its front legs so that its head can reach the ground. The giraffe’s neck contains the same amount of vertebrae as other mammals’ necks, the difference being that the vertebrae of the giraffe are elongated.

Giraffes reach sexual maturity at 3 ½ years for females and 4 ½ years for males and will generally have one calf every two years. The life span of the giraffe is around 26 years in the wild and up to 36 years in captivity.

The Current Taxonomy of the Giraffe

Physiology of the Giraffe

If a giraffe stands with its head raised, its brain is approximately 6 meters above the ground and about 2 meters above its heart. As giraffes raise their heads, their cardiovascular system adjusts to maintain blood flow to the brain keeping flow relatively constant.

When a giraffe raises its head vasoconstriction occurs in the limbs to prevent pooling of blood. Likewise when a giraffe lowers its head, vasodilatation in the limbs occurs to prevent pooling of blood in the legs and lower body.

Fighting, Dominance and Ritualistic Displays Among Giraffes

Males of many species fight. They may compete for food, water, shelter or sexual mates. Animals fighting within its species seldom results in serious injury or death due to the fact that animals have evolved many symbolic and ritualized displays.

These displays have evolved through time to become an increasingly effective way for giraffes to communicate certain things, such as dominance. The displays have meanings understood by the entire species.

Fighting among giraffes over resources are ritualized displays rather then life threatening battles. Rival giraffes will have “necking” matches where two males will stand beside each other and wrap and unwrap their necks around the neck of their rival. They may also slam each other with their necks or clubbed heads.

Neither giraffe will use hooves during the ritualistic display as hooves could cause serious injury or prove fatal. Neither animal is injured and the loser of the display will either run away or signal defeat by another ritual. As with most competitions for dominance, ‘to the victor goes the spoils’ in regards to the best mates and food.

Randall, Burggren & French, 2002, ‘Circulation’, in Animal Physiology, Mechanism and Adaptations, ed. W.H. Freedman and Company, New York, chapter 12.

Hickman, Roberts, Larson & I’Anson, 2004, ‘Animal Behaviour’ in Integrated Principles of Zoology, 12th edition, ed. McGraw Hill, New York, chapter 36.

The copyright of the article Why the Giraffe Has Such a Long Neck in Quadrupeds is owned by Roberta Goli. Permission to republish Why the Giraffe Has Such a Long Neck in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.