A description like this sounds outlandish, but the gentle giraffe carries its extreme features gracefully. At home in the African Savanna, a giraffe's long neck and extended tongue is ideal for reaching the leaves of tall trees, such as acacia and combretum. They even have a rubbery saliva that protects their mouth from the thorny branches.
Giraffes eat other things besides leaves.
Flowers, vines and herbs are eaten, but giraffes also chew on bones, probably for additional minerals. That's why part of its scientific name is camelopardalis. It may really be a relative of the deer. Reticulated giraffes are fairly rare, being found only in northern Kenya, and are threatened by poaching for hides and giraffe hair bracelets. A giraffe's life expectancy is about 25 years.