Why Giraffes Hum at Night, Plus More Fun Facts

The tallest land animal, the lanky giraffe, is perhaps the first thing you think of when you picture the African savanna. With their long legs and necks, giraffes’ graceful silhouettes have featured in some of the most iconic images of Africa. As a fan favorite in zoos and on safaris, you may think you know all there is to know about this familiar animal. However, we reached out to animal expert, Sanjay Nair, a wildlife photographer, conservationist, and co-founder of the boutique travel company, Safari Lab, to learn a few giraffe facts that surprised us.

In honor of World Giraffe Day on June 21st, we have eight fascinating giraffe facts to share about these towering and elegant creatures. World Giraffe Day was founded by the Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF) to help raise awareness about the importance of their conservation.

1. New Research Reveals Giraffes Are Actually Four Distinct Species

Nair explained to us via email that, “Genetic and skull morphology studies have confirmed that giraffes aren’t a single species, but actually four.” Scientists long believed that giraffes were a single species with geographic variations, but a recent study has revealed something different. A recent analysis of 515 giraffe skulls supported the theory that giraffes should be reclassified into four distinct species. These are the Northern giraffe, Masai giraffe, reticulated giraffe, and Southern giraffe.

The importance of this new understanding goes beyond correctly identifying species. This new information also helps conservationists. The researchers said in the study, “Our results highlight the importance of focusing future giraffe conservation efforts on each taxon to maintain their unique characteristics and biodiversity in the wild.” As of 2025, the IUCN and Giraffe Conservation Foundation list the Northern giraffe as Critically Endangered, the Masai and Reticulated giraffes as Endangered, and the Southern giraffe as Least Concern. Conservation efforts have greatly helped the southern giraffe population in the past several decades.

2. Giraffes Are Much Smarter (And Socially Complex) Than We Gave Them Credit For

Another fascinating giraffe fact is that these tall beasts are much smarter than people realized in the past. Perhaps it was because of their quiet nature and relatively small brain size, but for many years, it was assumed that giraffes didn’t have much going on inside their heads. However, research on giraffe intelligence has been fairly scarce until recently.

A recent study published in Scientific Reports showed that giraffes make decisions based on probability, similar to parrots and apes. According to the study, giraffes are the only species studied so far with a relatively small brain size compared to their bodies that are able to use statistical reasoning. This doesn’t necessarily mean that giraffes are unique in this regard, but it does indicate that more research needs to be done on animal intelligence in other species. Researchers have also recently discovered that the social lives of giraffes are as complex as those of elephants. Nair said, “Females engage in shared parenting, form long-term bonds, and even show signs of ‘post-reproductive leadership,’ with older females contributing to herd knowledge.”

3. Giraffes Hum to Communicate With Each Other at Night

Except for the occasional grunt or snort, giraffes are pretty quiet. Because of this, it was only in the past decade or so that researchers discovered that giraffes hum to each other during the night. Their sound is at a low frequency (92 Hz), but still audible to humans. By analyzing 947 hours of recordings from giraffes in European zoos, scientists “detected harmonic, sustained and frequency-modulated ‘humming’ vocalizations during night recordings.”

Although more research is needed to determine exactly why giraffes hum, and why only at night, scientists believe it may provide a means of communication when visual cues are unavailable. Because giraffes have excellent vision, it may be that only when their vision is impaired in the dark do they need to communicate through sounds rather than visual signals.

4. Like Fingerprints – No Two Giraffes Have the Same Spots

Giraffe spots are incredibly beautiful. They are also unique to each individual giraffe, much like our fingerprints are unique to us. Nair explained, “The shape, size, and edge smoothness of giraffe spots are inherited from mothers to calves, and each one is unique.”

There’s more to a giraffe spot than beauty, however. The patterns help camouflage the giraffes in dappled light. Researchers found that the size and shape of the spots were linked with increased survival. The spots serve yet another purpose. They help regulate the giraffe’s body temperature through a network of blood vessels underneath each spot. This complex system can help cool off the giraffe in extreme heat. Each spot acts like a small thermal window that releases body heat.

5. Long Necks Helped Giraffe Mothers Feed Their Young

Animal experts used to believe that giraffes evolved long necks because males fought with each other over mating rights. Because the giraffe with the longest and most powerful neck would win, it was thought this led to giraffes being born with increasingly longer necks.

However, new research shows that although males may have longer necks, females have much longer necks in proportion to their bodies. And it is not fighting that led to the development of such long necks. Instead, females need long necks to reach the most delicate leaves in the center of the trees to get enough calories during pregnancy and lactation. A longer neck in proportion to their body helps them reach exactly where they need to go.

6. Giraffes Survive With Blood Pressure That Would Hospitalize a Human

Another interesting fact about giraffes is that they have one of the highest blood pressures of any animal on the planet. They need high blood pressure to pump blood up their incredibly long necks into their brains. According to the Smithsonian Magazine, to maintain the blood pressure they need in the brain, a giraffe’s heart blood pressure runs around 220/180. The American Heart Association considers a person’s blood pressure to be “elevated” at anything over 120/80. A systolic pressure reading of 180 or higher (the top number) is considered a “hypertensive crisis.”

Scientists may find new ways to help humans suffering from high blood pressure by studying how giraffes have evolved to avoid heart failure. Nair explained that giraffes “evolved vascular valves and networks to prevent stroke or collapse.” What we’ve learned from giraffes hasn’t led to new therapies yet, but it may lead to new ideas in the future.

7. Giraffes Avoid Climbing Slopes Over 20 Degrees

If you see a steep hill in the African landscape, you are unlikely to spot giraffes climbing over it. Researchers found that giraffes prefer flat terrain and will actively avoid steep slopes of over 20 degrees. This poses some unique challenges in conservation efforts because it severely limits their access to protected areas inside reserves. They need flat land to traverse and will be trapped inside areas if a slope is the only way out. Giraffes avoid climbing hills for a very good reason: their safety. They simply can’t climb up steep and rugged hills. Not only is there a high risk of falling, but climbing also expends a lot of the animals’ energy.

8. Giraffes Have Adapted to Human Landscapes in Some Surprising Ways

This next fascinating fact demonstrates the giraffe’s remarkable intelligence. Nair told us, “In parts of West Africa, giraffes have been observed resting more frequently near livestock and human settlements.” The reason? “Because predators like lions tend to avoid human presence.” Giraffes have learned that where there are people, there are unlikely to be lions or other predators. Nair explained, “By treating human-dominated zones as informal ‘safe zones,’ giraffes are adapting their behavior to reduce risk — a smart survival strategy in an increasingly human-altered world.”

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