Giraffes...more than meet the eyes -- part 2

In January I discovered fun and interesting facts about Giraffas. Today I will share with you a few more!

Do not worry: no quiz in sight, so please enjoy! ^__^

Generalities:

• The giraffe has the same number of vertebraes in its neck that most other mammals have, which is seven and this is what all of us have as well. Just that the verterbrae of the giraffa are much longer...
• The idea that giraffes are mute is wrong! This silent and peaceful creature is definitely not voiceless. Although they are normally quiet, calves bleat and make a mewing call, cows seeking lost calves bellow, and courting bulls may emit a raucous cough. Giraffes also give alarm snorts, and moaning, snoring hissing, and flutelike sounds have been reported.
• You would have to run in order to keep up with a giraffe walking because every step a giraffe takes is 15 feet long
• The giraffes life span is 20 to 25 years
• Like human fingerprints, each giraffe's coat is unique.
• The age of the giraffe can be calculated from its spots. The darker the spots, the older is the giraffe.
• The giraffe has a relative, the okapi, that has a much shorter neck. The okapi live in the forests of the Congo and are somewhat solitary animals.
• There are many kinds of giraffes in the world : Kordofan Giraffe,Angolan Giraffe,southern Giraffe,Nigrian Giraffe,Reticulated Giraffe,Masai Giraffe and Rofts Giraffe.

Linguistics:

• Most websites about Giraffas will tell you that Giraffe comes for  Arabic "Xirapha" or "Zirafa" which means "one who walks swiftly" or "meaning fast walking". Unfortunately I cannot find any origin for that explanation even when I asked linguists or Arabic speakers around me.

Personality:

• Giraffas are naturally thoughful: males and females tend to eat from different parts of a tree to ensure that the sexes do not compete for food.
• For the first four to five months, calves congregate in nursery groups called creches to rest and play while mothers forage in the distance.
• At a given moment a giraffe may be in a herd composed of all males, all females, females and young, or of both sexes and all ages or all alone if it is a mature bull or a cow guarding a new calf. There are no leaders and minimum coordination of herd movements.

Mankind has honored giraffes through art mostly. They feature in African cave paintings and in ancient Egyptian art and designs. ( see The Almighty Giraffe of Dabous ). Our ancestors were wise! Today we can go further by mastering the Giraffe's language in order to make our world a better place...tikkun olam...

The Power of Love...

(Beautiful Photo taken by Ron D'Raine )

Giraffes...more than meet the eyes

I must say that since I started the adventure with Sophie Ha Girafa, I discovered an animal truly special.

For instance I learned that:

• She has a huge heart-- yes!  A giraffe's heart weighs an incredible 24 pounds (11 kilos).
• She is resilient: A giraffe can go longer without water than a camel.
• She is the tallest mammal in the world.
• She is a cardio-expert: in one minute, her heart can pump 160 gallons of blood (605.66 liters).
• She is strong : An adult giraffe's kick is so powerful that it can decapitate a lion.
• She is caring: When adult male giraffes bang their long necks together in a form of ritual fighting, no harm is done to either giraffe.

And for fun facts:

• She can clean her ears with her 21-inch tongue!
• And her tongue is black!
• She is very flexible.... see picture below!
• She barely sleeps!Until 1956, it used to be thought that Giraffes did not sleep at all. Michael Grzimek demonstrated that adult giraffes slept  for short periods (2.5 to 6 minutes per 24 hours), either standing or resting their head on the hindquarters or on the ground while holding the neck in an arced posture as shown below .

Source

And last and surely not least because of her big heart and her willingness to stick her neck out, she is the symbol of Nonviolent Communication (NVC) also known as "Giraffe Language". The Giraffe language is nonviolent, compassionate language. Giraffe language is communication from a caring heart.

Nonviolent communication (NVC) is founded on language and communication skills that strengthen our ability to remain human, even under trying conditions.  The intent is to remind us about what we already know – about how we humans were meant to relate to one another – and to assist us in living in a way that concretely manifests this knowledge

Now this is what is needed on our little planet! More Giraffe language speakers!

Thank you atomicshark