Animals in the Wild 



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THE TALLEST OF THEM All 



The giraffe has many interesting features aside from its long neck. It sleeps 

 standing, and it can go without formal drinking for weeks, getting enough 

 moisture from foliage. Its spotted coloring blends admirably with its surroundings, 

 and its fleet legs make a quick getaway possible when danger threatens. 



gainly animal has more than the normal number of vertebrae 

 from head to shoulders. It does not, however. It has the usual 

 seven neck vertebrae they are simply longer than those of other 

 mammals. 



The long neck makes it possible for the giraffe to feed on the 

 leaves of trees. It can manage to reach its head down to a pool 

 for drinking water, but it depends for most of its liquid nourish- 

 ment on the moisture on leaves. As you may have guessed, the 

 giraffe can cover ground speedily with its long legs, and has been 

 known to go over thirty miles an hour! The giraffe reputedly is 

 silent, but at times it does produce a sound somewhat like a cow's 

 moo. 



