Giraffes are superbly adapted to exploit a food source that is out of reach for other hooved animals. They feed almost entirely on leaves of acacia, mimosa, and wild apricot trees. The 18-inch tongue is wrapped around a branch and as the head is pulled away, leaves are stripped off. To reach the ground a giraffe must spread its forelegs widely and well to the front or bend at the knees. They are vulnerable to lion predation when lying down, ground feeding or drinking.
Giraffes usually sleep standing up but do lie down occasionally.
Extreme height provides giraffes with an excellent range of vision. Giraffes range in weight from 1210-3960 pounds. They have excellent vision, hearing and sense of smell. There is a series of valves that regulates blood flow to the head. The color pattern varies among the five subspecies, but is essentially dark reddish to chestnut brown blotches of various shapes and sizes on a buff ground color.