Giraffes long legs mean they take big steps when they walk or run. one step can be about 5 metreslong. They can run very fast reaching speeds af about nearly 60 km per hour. Because of their long legs and short bodies giraffes moce differently from other four legged animals. They move the two legs on one side of the body forward, then the two legs on the other side.This keeps them from fripping over. Because of their long necks, giraffes have big hearts to pump llood all the way up to the brain. A giraffe heart is the biggest of any animal's there are special valves in the neck arteries so that blood doesn't rush to its head. when the head is raised again the blood doesn't rush back down to the heart. such rapid changes in blood pressure would make a giraffe faint female giraffes give birth to a calf about 15 months after mating with a male. The mother gives birth standing up. so the caff drops to the ground. The calf is about 2 metres tall and during its first week it grows about a centime. about an hour afrer birth, the caff can walk. it suckles milk from it's mother, but starts nibbling at other food within days.

Although giraffes are peace ful animals they will defend themselves from lions leopards and hyenas which attack the young. and sometimes adult giraffes.