|
We thought we'd read somewhere that giraffes did not have voice boxes and weren't capable of producing any vocalizations, but we decided to search the Net and see if this was true. We typed "giraffes make noise" into the Yahoo! search box and looked to see what we could rustle up. Although we did find a page or two that claimed the animal makes no noise at all, we found many more zookeepers, veterinarians, and other animal experts who debunked this popular misconception. On a page from Discovery Magazine.com, a kids' magazine devoted to science, a young reader echoed your
question. The resident expert consulted with a zoo vet and learned that although giraffes are generally quiet animals, they can make a bleating sound, similar to that of a young calf or sheep. A page from the Indianapolis Zoo confirmed this fact, and stated that giraffes can also make a "low, fluttering sound." Yet another zoo source says that while giraffes don't often make noise, "they are capable of frighteningly loud grunts and roars if they feel threatened." Apparently, the belief that giraffes make no noise is simply a tall tale -- the animals can make a number of sounds. If
you are looking for some fascinating, and true, giraffe facts, here are a few: - Giraffes are the tallest land animal and can grow up to 18 feet tall.
- The giraffe's neck can be 6 feet long, and its tongue can stretch 20 inches.
- Giraffes give birth standing up, so the baby giraffe enters the world with a drop to the ground.
- Each animal's coat has a unique pattern, much like human fingerprints.
And we're not stretching the truth!
|
