Giraffe
Giraffa · Mammal
A long neck, a patterned coat and a face full of character. Meet the world’s tallest land animal through Mark’s photograph and video from The Living Desert.
- Native range
- Africa
- On the menu
- Leaves, buds & twigs
- Adult male height
- Up to about 18 ft / 5.5 m
- Look for
- Coat patterns & ossicones
There’s more to a giraffe than height.
A pattern all its own.
Each giraffe has an individual arrangement of markings. Follow the pale lines between the darker patches in the photograph.
Built to reach.
Giraffes browse trees and shrubs. Their long tongue and mobile lips help them gather leaves around thorny branches.
Look above the ears.
Those fur-covered projections are called ossicones. They are part of the giraffe’s distinctive head shape.
An African animal, a Palm Desert encounter.
Giraffes are native to Africa. Seeing one at The Living Desert offers a local encounter with an animal whose wild home is far beyond the Coachella Valley. Start with the face, then follow the line of the neck and the changing pattern of the coat.
In the wild, protecting connected habitat is essential. Land clearing and fragmentation reduce the space giraffes need. The Giraffe Conservation Foundation offers a deeper look at their biology and conservation.
Learn more about giraffesA few good questions.
Are giraffes native to the Coachella Valley?
No. Their native range is in Africa. This page features a giraffe photographed at The Living Desert Zoo & Gardens in Palm Desert.
How tall can a giraffe grow?
Adult males can reach about 18 feet (5.5 meters). Females are generally smaller, reaching about 14 feet (4.3 meters).
Do giraffes have more neck bones than people?
They have seven neck vertebrae, like humans. The individual bones are much longer.
Can visitors feed giraffes at The Living Desert?
The zoo offers a giraffe-feeding experience. Check its official experiences page for current availability, times, charges and participation rules.
What should I look for while watching?
Watch the lips and tongue as the animal feeds, the ears as its attention shifts, and the way the neck changes position. Leave room for a quiet moment between photographs.
Sources & photo notes
The photograph and video are Mark Miller’s existing work. Biology references are listed below. No species-level identification of this individual is asserted; Giraffa is the genus. Visitor experiences can change.
See the story in motion.
A closer look through Mark’s video collection.
