It is a known fact that giraffes are the tallest land animal in the entire world. However, a baby giraffe or calf differs from its parents in terms of the following: 1) Diet – a calf only occasionally eats several bits of vegetation until after it reaches maturity while its parents normally eat leaves and shrubs of acacia trees, 2) Socialization – a calf tend to stay with its mother during the nursing period while its father tend to live separately with the rest of the giraffes, 3) Height and weight – a calf is obviously smaller and lighter compared to its parents.
A male giraffe can grow up to 20 feet tall and weigh about 4,200 pounds while a female giraffe can grow up to 18 feet tall and weigh about 1,400 pounds. A calf’s average lifespan is the same that of a bull and a cow whether in the wild or in captivity. They also come from the same subspecies, live in the same geographic location and they all have the same scientific name – Giraffa Camelopardalis.