Original photo by joecicak/iStock
In addition to their spots and long necks, giraffes have another distinguishing feature: their tongues are often dark purple. Whereas most animals have fully pink tongues, a giraffe’s is infused with melanin that makes it darker — sometimes it’s even blue or black rather than purple — although the base and back are indeed pink. And while it hasn’t been proven definitively, the most widely accepted theory is that the melanin provides ultraviolet protection, preventing giraffe tongues from getting sunburned while the animals feed on tall trees. Giraffe tongues are also long (up to 21 inches) and covered in thick bumps known as papillae, which help protect them from the spiky defensive thorns of the animal’s favorite snack: acacia trees.
Oops, incorrect!
It's a factNot unlike human fingerprints, giraffe spot patterns are unique. The different species and subspecies are partially distinguished by the typical shape of their spots, however.
Giraffes aren’t the only creatures with darker tongues, of course; okapis, polar bears, impalas, and chow chow dogs have them as well, among other animals. However, giraffes are distinguished from their purple-tongued friends not only by their status as the world’s tallest mammal, but also because they give birth standing up. Newborn giraffes fall to the ground from a height of more than five feet, not that they mind — they can stand within half an hour and run within 10 hours, usually alongside their doting (and similarly dark-tongued) mother.
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A group of giraffes is called a ______.
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A group of giraffes is called a tower.
Giraffes have extremely high blood pressure — and it isn’t a problem.
When it comes to most living creatures, hypertension is a serious health issue. By virtue of their extreme height, however, high blood pressure is not only a good thing for giraffes, but an essential part of their biology — a way for their hearts to overcome gravity and pump blood up their long necks. In order to maintain a blood pressure of 110 over 70 at the brain, a normal number for a large mammal, giraffes need a blood pressure at the heart of roughly 220 over 180. That number would be beyond concerning to your cardiologist, as lower than 120 over 80 is considered healthy for humans. Giraffes’ cardiovascular strength is of great interest to scientists, who have marveled at their resilience — and tried to see what lessons we might learn from it.
Michael Nordine is a writer and editor living in Denver. A native Angeleno, he has two cats and wishes he had more.
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