How Tall Is a Giraffe? Height of Males, Females and Calves

How tall are male and female giraffes?

Giraffes are the tallest living animals, and the difference between the sexes is large. A grown bull is often a meter (about 3 ft) taller and several hundred kilograms heavier than a cow.

Height also varies between the four giraffe species and between individuals. Some populations, such as the Kordofan giraffe of central Africa, are smaller on average, with adults reported at about 3.8–4.7 m (12.5–15.5 ft).

How long are a giraffe’s neck and legs?

A giraffe’s height comes from two body parts: the legs and the neck. The legs alone are about 1.8 m (6 ft) long, taller than many people, and the front legs are a little longer than the back legs. The neck adds up to about 2.4 m (8 ft) more.

Surprisingly, the neck has only seven vertebrae, the same number found in a human or a mouse. Each vertebra is simply very long, more than 28 cm (11 in) in large adults. Most of this stretching happens after birth, which is why a newborn’s neck looks short compared with an adult’s. The head and neck are held up by strong muscles and a thick ligament anchored to tall spines on the back, which gives the shoulders their humped look.

How tall is a baby giraffe?

A giraffe calf is born at about 1.7–2 m (5.6–6.6 ft) tall and drops about 1.5–2 m (5–6.5 ft) to the ground, because its mother gives birth standing up. The fall breaks the umbilical cord and helps the calf take its first breath. Within about an hour the calf is on its feet and suckling.

Calves grow very fast during their first year, and young giraffes keep growing for several years. Males continue to fill out well into adulthood, becoming heavier, thicker-necked and darker, with heavier skulls.

What is the tallest giraffe ever recorded?

The tallest giraffe usually cited in record books is George, a Masai bull from Kenya who arrived at Chester Zoo in England in 1959. He was listed by Guinness World Records at about 5.8 m (19 ft), with his ossicones almost brushing the roof of the zoo’s giraffe house.

Wild bulls of similar size probably exist, but they are hard to measure. Claims of giraffes 6 m (20 ft) tall or more appear in popular articles, but they are not well documented. For other record-breaking animals, see the tallest animals in the world.

How does being tall help a giraffe?

Feeding. Height lets giraffes browse leaves that other animals cannot reach. A large male can feed about 4.5 m (15 ft) up, while even a big kudu antelope reaches only about 2 m (6.5 ft). Giraffes also feed lower down, but high branches give them a supply of food that few competitors share. See What do giraffes eat?

Spotting danger. With large eyes set high on the head, a giraffe can see predators such as lions from a long way off. Zebras and antelopes often stay near giraffes and watch them for signs of alarm.

Fighting and mating. Males use their long necks as weapons in “necking” fights, and taller, heavier bulls usually win. Scientists still debate how much feeding and fighting each shaped the long neck; see Why do giraffes have long necks?

What are the downsides of being so tall?

Being tall has costs. To pump blood up to the brain, a giraffe’s heart weighs about 11 kg (25 lb) and produces about twice the blood pressure of a human heart. Special valves and blood vessels stop the giraffe from fainting when it lowers its head to drink and raises it again.

Drinking is awkward: a giraffe must spread its front legs wide or bend its knees to reach water, and it is slow to stand back up if a predator appears. Lying down and getting up also take several steps, which may be one reason giraffes sleep so little. Tall animals also need a lot of food, and one study found that longer-necked giraffes were more likely to die during a severe drought.

How does a giraffe compare with other tall animals?

The giraffe beats every other living animal, including the African bush elephant, the heaviest land animal. Learn more about the giraffe’s body, behavior and conservation in our giraffe profile.