10 Jan

Why Giraffes Have Purple Tongues and Other Unique Traits

A giraffe in the African savanna
A wild giraffe in Africa 

All You Need to Know about the K12 Virtual Field Trip: Giraffes at the Toronto Zoo

Giraffes are fascinating animals with unique traits. For example, they have strikingly long necks, slender legs, and flaunt a tan coat speckled with brown, irregular-shaped patches. Giraffes are the tallest land mammals and can be up to 18 feet in height – that’s taller than three adults!  

Giraffes are hooved mammals that inhabit the African savannas and open woodlands. In total, there are four species of giraffes: Masai, northern, reticulated, and southern; each with its own geographic range throughout Africa.  

Did you know a giraffes have purple tongues? If you’re curious, keep reading to learn why giraffes have purple tongues, and other wild facts about giraffes. We’ll also tell share how you can see a giraffe right from the comfort of your home with an exciting K12 virtual field trip. 

A small giraffe standing with a larger giraffe.
A young giraffe

Giraffes In Person 

Did you know there are several ways to get up close and personal with giraffes? For instance, one way to travel to Nairobi, Kenya for a stay at the Giraffe Manor. Guests can interact with a local herd of giraffes that freely visit the manor throughout the day.  

If you can’t travel to Kenya, the Toronto Zoo might be your next stop to see some Masai giraffes. Here visitors can do a Wild Encounter Experience for an up-close encounter with giraffes. 

Virtual Field Trips 

If staying home is more your speed, we have that covered too! Virtual field trips are an excellent way to experience something new from the comfort of your own home.  

For example, Giraffes at the Toronto Zoo is a K12 virtual field trip that brings the giraffes at the Toronto Zoo to you! Students in grades K-12 can register for this exciting virtual field trip on January 29, 2025, by visiting Virtual Field Trips – K12 Enrichment.   

A giraffe walking with a herd of zebras. 
A giraffe among zebras 

Six Wild Facts about Giraffes  

Register for Giraffes at the Toronto Zoo and test your giraffe knowledge! We’ll talk more about some of these facts during the virtual field trip.  

  1. The Tallest Land Mammal in The World 

Giraffes are large, hooved-foot mammals from Africa. They are the tallest land mammals in the world.

Male giraffes, or bulls, can grow to be 18 feet tall and weigh up to 3,000 pounds. Female giraffes, or cows, can grow up to 14 feet tall and weigh up to 1,500 pounds.  

A giraffe’s neck is about 6 feet long and can weigh up to 600 pounds. Additionally, their long lean legs help them to run at speeds up to 35 miles per hour! 

  1. Giraffes Are the Only Mammals Born with “Horns”  

Male and female giraffes have two “horns” on the top of their head called ossicones. Ossicones are not true horns but boney cores that are surrounded by cartilage. Interestingly, these are present from birth, making giraffes the only mammals that are born with “horns”.  

A giraffe looking into the camera.
A giraffe’s ossicones 
  1. They Have a Unique Set of Spots 

Giraffes have a spotted pattern that looks similar to a leopard’s fur. In fact, the species name is “Giraffe camelopardalis”, which means ‘camel-leopard’.  

Every giraffe has its own unique set of spots, and their colors can vary from light tan to dark brown, depending on what the giraffe eats and where it lives.  

  1. Giraffes Only Eat Plants 

Giraffes are herbivores so they only eat plants. They spend most of the day munching on leaves from the tall treetops and bushes. In fact, giraffes can eat up to 75 pounds of food per day!  

Acacia trees are giraffes’ favorite food. The acacia tree is tall and produces a canopy-like, umbrella-shaped crown of leaves. Notably, the acacia tree is the unofficial symbol of the African savannas.  

A giraffe looking up and eating leaves from an acacia tree. 
A giraffe eating leaves from an acacia tree 
  1. Giraffes Have Purple Tongues                     

Giraffes have long, dark-colored tongues ranging in shades of dark purple, dark blue to almost black. The purpose of their dark tongue is for sun protection. Giraffe tongues are rich in melanin – which is a substance that adds pigmentation and also protects the skin from the sun.  

  A giraffe’s sticking out its tongue
 A giraffe’s tongue

They use their tongue to eat around the prickly thorns that grow on acacia trees. Also, a giraffe tongue has papillae, tough structures for added protection from the sharp acacia thorns.   

  1. They Don’t Bend Their Knees to Drink  

To drink water, giraffes don’t bend their knees! Instead, they splay their legs apart in a V-shape then lower their long neck down low enough to take a drink.  

Giraffes get most of their water from the plants they eat, therefore they only need to drink water every few days.  

A giraffe lowering its neck to drink water.
A giraffe in a splay position  

Final Thoughts 

Giraffes are unique animals with even more unique traits. Their towering height, long necks, and colorful patches make them remarkable creatures. This blog post covered six amazing facts about giraffes and we hope you learned something new. If you ever have the chance to see a giraffe, whether in person or through a virtual field trip, it is sure to be an enriching experience.  

See Giraffes at the Toronto Zoo 

If you enjoyed learning about giraffes and want to see them at the Toronto Zoo, register today for Giraffes at the Toronto Zoo by visiting Virtual Field Trips – K12 Enrichment.  

This K12 virtual field trip is open to all students in grades K-12, and you don’t need to attend a K12-powered school to participate.  

Giraffes at the Toronto Zoo is on January 29, 2025, at 1 PM ET, register today!