If you answered the giraffe, you are correct! A giraffe's ears can measure up to eight inches long. But as the tallest land mammal, a giraffe's large ears are not the only thing accounting for its staggering height.
Adding to their 14-18 foot total height, a giraffe's neck can reach six feet in length. Also, their 600-pound neck has just seven vertebraes, the same amount as a human neck! This is possible because each vertebrae measures up to 10 inches long.
Another unique feature to giraffes is their walking gait. Giraffes move their six-foot long legs simultaneously based on side, moving both the left legs together and then both the right legs together when walking. This is called pacing. However, giraffes have a separate gait for running in which both hind legs will swing around and in front of the forelegs. They can reach speeds up to 35 miles per hour.
Congratulations to Kirsten Westpfahl from Mt. Vernon, Mo., whose name was randomly drawn from those submitting correct answers this week!
Play along again next week for your chance to win a pair of one-day passes to Dickerson Park Zoo.
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