A giraffe’s height is an evolutionary adaption that allows it to feed on tall trees and other sources of vegetation that grow high above the ground. The extensive tongue of the giraffe, which can grow up to 21 inches in length, is a similar adornment designed for getting to difficult spots.
Giraffes grow up to 19 feet in height and weigh 3,000 pounds. A giraffe's weight is advantageous for eating and seeking out predators; it also causes complications when the animal must drink from a watering hole. When kneeling the giraffe must splay its legs, making it vulnerable to predators such as lions and crocodiles.
They depend on their long necks and legs to get their food because they eat leaves off of trees. Giraffes have evolved from shorter animals because the ability to eat leaves that most animals could not reach gave them a survival advantage.
There are two scientific theories suggesting why giraffes are tall, most especially because of their long neck. Charles Darwin was the first one who proposed and suggested that giraffes evolved a longer neck to access places that are hard to reach due to their competition against rival creatures. The second theory that was proposed states that the reason why giraffes are tall and why they have long necks was because they needed it for their secondary sexual characteristics – male giraffes now had an advantage when it comes to physical combat thereby giving them easy access to female giraffes that are sexually receptive.
A giraffe can grow as tall as 19 feet and can weigh more or less than 3,000 pounds. Although there are many advantages of having a long neck such as being able to reach food and easily search for predators, one of its disadvantages is that it makes it difficult for them to drink water.
