Giraffes are the fastest-running animals and are infrequently seen fully running around savanna. Their body length is about 19 feet.
Giraffas run at a speed of 60km/h (37m/h). They are considered the fastest-running creatures all around the world. But you will not believe that when you see restful passing with the Acacia tree.
Do you want to know about this fast-running animal, how, when, and why giraffes run? With interesting facts, there is complete information about how fast a giraffe can run. Let’s know in this article.
Top speed of a giraffe:
The 6 feet long giraffe has slender legs. But their legs are powerful and can lift the weight from 2600-4200 pounds.
With this ability, it will not surprise you that a giraffe can run as fast as 37m/h if needed.
When the giraffes are not harassed from lion-like starved predators, they usually walk at the speed of 10m/h.
How long can a giraffe run?
A fast speed can be accessible only for short ranges. Because of their long neck and trachea, their breathing rate slowed down quickly, allowing them to run for short intervals.
The speed of 10m/h is worth it; at this speed, they can run for long distances on African plains.
How do giraffes run?
Giraffes run in an interesting way known as pacing. Pacing is a surprising walking style in which both legs move on one side ahead together. After that, the other two opposite legs move ahead together. Their front legs are 10% more lengthy than their back legs.
Giraffes have the same walking style if they are running and walking. During running, their speed is faster than usual. Bears, elephants, and camels also follow pacing ways to walk.
The loping gait of the giraffes is the longest journey in the animal realm. They can be seen walking in slow motion over the savanna.
Giraffes infrequently run, but their running process shows danger for other wild animals.
Why do giraffes run? How Fast Can A Giraffe Run?
Giraffes run to escape themselves when they have any danger. Crocodiles also prey on giraffes, and the lion is their main predator and the key reason for their sprinting.
A lion runs at the speed of 50m/h, so a giraffe cannot outrun them. They have nothing to fight back. A lion usually knocks the prey off its feet to drag it to the floor.
This is risky for lions because a kick pack of a mature giraffe can make a strong punch that can burst a lion’s skull.
Furthermore, humans are also a big threat to giraffes. Climate changes, illegal hunting, and habitat loss are permanent and harmful threats to giraffes. Their inhabitants have declined by almost 40% in the previous 30 years.
Giraffes are not endangered, but their population is at the top risk of extinction.
Do different giraffe subspecies have different top speeds?
Giraffe Camelopardalis is one species of giraffe. There are more subspecies, each having a different skin pattern and geographical range.
There is no proof that giraffes have different top speeds as all the giraffes have the same height and weight, so we can say that they all have the same running speed.
Interesting information about giraffes on the move:
- Giraffes frequently cross rivers in their migratory voyage. Sometimes, giraffes walk inside the river but keep their front part dry.
- Giraffes do not jump because they are the tallest animals with long necks, have no need to jump, and can feed from the top of the trees.
- The 7 feet long, 600-pound weight neck of a giraffe is a noticeable thing. Every giraffe has a different neck size. This helps the giraffes to feed from tall trees and to scan the predators.
- Baby giraffes are also tall, up to 6 feet. They can walk after 30 minutes of birth. Learning to walk is essential for the giraffes, so their mother kicks them, and that helps them to stand.
- Giraffes have four parts in their stomachs. They munch their food two times a day. Four different parts of the stomach help them in the food digestion process. They eat 75 Lbs of food per day. They spend most of their daytime eating food, but they can live without drinking water for up to 21 days. Because they fulfill their water needs from leaves. But when they start drinking water, they drink 54 liters of water in one sitting.
Conclusion: How Fast Can A Giraffe Run?
With a long height, it’s amazing to know that giraffes are the tallest animals in the world. They have the power to run to reach a top speed of 60km/h.
The giraffe infrequently needs to boot it into tall gear; it’s major that they hold the running powers to contest with such fast predators as the African Lion.
Typically, you will see the giraffe walking the savannah at 10 mph (16 km/hr) to find food, a partner, or just a dim place to rest.