Anatomy of a Giraffe Trivia Quiz

Ossicones are the horn-like structures that protrude from the top of a giraffe's head. Whilst ossicones look like - and often function as - horns, they are anatomically distinct; a primary distinction is the permanent presence of skin and fur that coats these curious bony protrusions. Ossicones are peculiar to Giraffidae, the family which includes the okapi as well as the giraffe. All other families that featured ossicones as part of their anatomy are extinct.

The eyes of a giraffe are situated below the ossicones and between the ears with one eye on each side of the head. This arrangement provides a giraffe with good peripheral vision which is a much needed adaptation to survive the harsh realities of life in African habitats such as the savannah.

No awards are handed out for stating that giraffes have long necks (I have said it anyway!) though it is perhaps more interesting to note that the length of a giraffe's neck is significantly larger than other similar animals due to the length of each vertebra rather than the number of vertebrae in the cervical spine.

The C2 vertebra (second cervical vertebra) is towards the top of the giraffe's spine and is also known as the "axis".

Towards the core of the giraffe and at the base of its neck is the C7 (seventh cervical vertebra). An area of debate amongst zoologists relates to where the cervical section of the spine ends and where the thoracic spine (the hump) of a giraffe begins. I love a robust debate but I think I'll leave the zoologists to it on this occasion.

Situated below the base of the neck is the heart. A giraffe's heart - tasked with ensuring a suitable blood supply is delivered to the head via that very long neck - has a tough gig! Getting blood pumped through the neck is facilitated by a giraffe's innately high blood pressure (280 / 180), significantly higher than the human level of "120 over 80". The left ventricle in a giraffe's heart does most of the hard graft and a thick muscle layer has developed to help overcome gravity.

Information from the Giraffe Conservation Foundation.

Giraffes are the largest ruminants on Earth and the structure of their digestive system reflects their grazing, herbivorous diet. Dealing with large volumes of greenery is facilitated by various anatomical structures such as a stomach chamber known as the rumen (storage and bacterial hub). Towards the "tail end" of the digestive system sits the large and small intestine. Studies suggest that, for ruminants, giraffes have a relatively long large intestine and short small intestine. The reasons why remain a matter for speculation*.

*Gross anatomy of the intestine in the Giraffe (Giraffe camelopardalis). W Perez, M Lima, Marcus Clauss (2009). The team at University of Zurich have to be using the word "gross" playfully, right?

Supporting the majority of a giraffe's critical internal organs is the sternum (breastbone), a bone that sits at the floor of the thorax. The sternum holds a subset of the fourteen pairs of ribs in place, allowing formation of the ribcage.

On the basis of human anatomy, it is natural to think of the radius as a bone of the arm; for the four-legged giraffe however, the radius is a bone of the front leg. The radius is situated between the humerus/ulna and the carpus (wrist) and essentially forms the long upper portion of each front leg. To make matters more confusing, a giraffe's "wrist" is more akin to a knee.

The cannon bones form the lower segment of each leg of a giraffe. In the front legs the cannon bones are formed through the fusion of the metacarpals whilst in the rear legs they consist of fused metatarsals. Though anatomically very different, it may be helpful to consider the cannon bones as functioning similar to the human tibia and fibula bones.

Giraffes have hooves and they are classified as even-toed. The hooves provide protection and are essential for locomotion, helping the giraffe reach running speeds of up to 35 miles per hour.