2009 / Skeleton specimen / Kept in Kobe Oji Zoo (named Shinpei, died age 8) / UMUT

Despite its astonishingly long neck, the giraffe only has seven vertebrae, like the neck of other mammals. If the giraffe’s curious proportions have raised many discussions, the survival value of its long neck remains uncertain. Not only can they forage leaves on high trees, but male giraffes also fight by wreathing around with their necks. The giraffe also has considerably long legs, making it the highest animal in the world. On the other hand, the form of its trunk is common among herbivorous mammals.

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