Why has the giraffe so long neck?

An biological wonder In the giraffe's kingdom is it the size it counts. An giraffe incredible neck can be over 2 metres. For they who believed earlier that the long neck was mainly for reaching the top of the threes, have to think twice. The famous British scientific Charles Darwin meant that, but the fact is that giraffes seldom exploit their long neck to eat from the top of the threes.

Photo: Giraffe - a long neck is their strongest weapon.

Recently scientific work has shown that the male who has the longest neck win the struggle about the females. In that way the neck can be considered as an weapon. The males push with their neck and kicks so hard with their feet that it can be heard a kilometre away.

Giraffes are "party lions" They like to mingle with other species of animals. They wander out and in from other small flocks. But mostly they stay with their own. It is the place where they feel safest.

Photo: Giraffes have long neck, and this is for a certain purpose.

Mix of camel and leopard? In Europe for a long time ago the giraffe was thought to be an hybrid, or an crossing between an camel and leopard. The anatomic knowledge about this animal is new. The pattern on their skin is used as camouflage. There are 9 sub species from the giraffe.

They have all different patterns on their skin, so it is possible to see the difference. Giraffes can speed up to 55 kilometres per hour. Unfortunately they cannot escape from hungry lions. Their kicks are hard, but usually the lions win. Another threat for the giraffes today is poaching. Poachers shoot giraffes because of the hair from their tails. It can be used to make bracelet, which are very popular among tourists. The Rotchild giraffe in Uganda is most threatened of extinction.

What does mummy answer? Tourists love this animal. It is so beautiful. But what do mummy answer if her small child ask why the giraffe has so long neck. Does she give the right answer and honestly say: the males who have the longest neck are dominating. They use their power to the fullest to select partners and to have sexual intercourse.

Stein Morten Lund, 10 April 2001

Additional information

Some facts: - Male weight is 2420-4250 lb (1100-1932 kg), shoulder height 9-11 feet (2.7-3.3 metres), top of horns up to 18 feet (5.5 metres); They highest giraffe ever measures is 5,88 metres.

- Female weight is 1540-2600 lb (700 1182 kg), female shoulder height 2 feet shorter.

The giraffe's only relative is the rare and mysterious Okapi, which lives in the rainforest in Congo (Zaire). It was first discovered in 1901. In contradiction to the giraffe, the Okapi has a short neck.