For all its great length the giraffe's neck has only seven vertebrae, the same as man. Males can be distinguished from females by their sturdier horns, which are not true horns but thickened bone. In the female the horns are more slender and often topped with a tuft of hair. If you watch giraffes walk you will notice that they have a characteristic gait which brings both limbs on the same side forward together. Amongst males there is a strong dominance hierarchy and it is fairly easy to observe the displacement of one male by another.
Males frequently spar in a particular manner known as 'necking'.
They stand shoulder to shoulder and swing their heads at each other in such a way that their necks sometimes entwine. The impact can be very hard and heard as a 'thud'. Special Thanks to Thomson Safaris and Tanzania National Parks for contributing Tanzanian information. All rights reserved.