The giraffe gets its name from the Arabic word "Xirapha," which means, "one who walks swiftly." Giraffes not only walk swiftly, but they run swiftly, as well. They have been recorded running as fast as 35 miles per hour (56 kilometers per hour)! To put that in perspective, humans run on average 10 miles an hour (16 kilometers). Since giraffes tire easily, they are unable to sustain these high speeds for very long, but can use these brief spurts of speed to help evade predators, such as lions.

It's difficult to catch a giraffe while its sleeping, simply because he gets so little of it! Ever vigilant for predators, giraffes just sleep for a few minutes at a time, and usually only get about 30 minutes total in a single day.

The spots on each giraffe are distinctive to that animal alone. Because of this, people who are familiar with giraffes (such as researchers), can often identify each animal merely by recognizing their spot patterns.

Giraffes can often be seen with small, winged passengers perched on their backs. These birds are called "oxpeckers," or more commonly known as "tick-birds," because they eat the ticks off animals, including grateful giraffes. The birds get fed, and the giraffes rid themselves of parasites. Nature working in harmony. By the way, these useful birds also like the giraffes' earwax, and will travel deep into the ear to get it.