What Do Giraffes Eat? Remarkable Food Facts For Kids

Giraffes are tall animals with long necks and are regarded as the tallest land mammal on the Earth.

Giraffes are widely recognized for their long neck and dark coat colored yellow with black patches on them. They usually feed on deciduous trees and shrubs using their long neck to reach plant matter found on higher branches.

This is something other herbivores cannot do. A giraffe's neck is so long that while drinking water in the dry season or any other season except the rainy season, they need to split their legs apart to drink water.

Giraffes share the number of teeth they have with humans. Both have 32 teeth, but giraffes have no upper front teeth.

Most of their teeth are at the back as they need to chew their food thoroughly. Other animals and carnivorous animals like lions steer clear of adult giraffes as one kick from the long front legs of a giraffe is enough to kill a lion.

These long legs allow the giraffes to easily fend off attacks from predators but make it difficult for them to drink water when they have to bend near the water source. This is where they are vulnerable to attacks.

A pack of lions could bring down one giraffe or young giraffes together, though. Giraffes spend their day eating grass.

Grass grows almost everywhere, so they don't have to search for them and always have ample supplies to sustain themselves. Even though it is abundantly available, grass takes up a minimal amount of the giraffe's diet; they mainly eat leaves.

Their favorite food is fresh acacia leaves that grow on acacia trees found in Africa. They also eat the leaves of mimosa trees.

The Prickly pear tree is another plant the giraffe eats, but, As its name suggests, the tree is filled with sharp thorns. There are long thorns that stick out of the branches that prevent other animals from eating them.

Giraffes have tough tissue, which lets them eat the leaves, especially from acacia trees, without being affected. They also eat leaves which is another major item in the giraffe diet.

Giraffes have such long necks that they can easily eat the leaves of most of the trees that other animals cannot reach. After understanding what can giraffes eat with such a long neck, also check why do giraffes have long necks and why do giraffes have horns?

Why do giraffes eat bones?

A giraffe eats bones sometimes only to gain phosphorus and calcium if they don't get these nutrients from their regular giraffe diet. It should be noted that a giraffe is not a carnivore at all. It does not even eat the bone but only chews and sucks on it.

They don't kill animals; instead, they pick up the bones of already dead animals that were killed and eaten by other carnivores. Meat is not a part of the giraffe diet and should not be given to them at all.

This animal eats bones as a last resort for the required nutrients. If the giraffe eats a healthy herbivorous diet, it will not need to chew on bones.

Giraffes have a peculiar way of drinking water. When giraffes drink water, they spread their legs because they are too long and their necks won't reach the water level. Unlike other animals who drink water with their tongue, giraffes drink water with the help of their lips to suck in water and make a vacuum.

Why do giraffes eat bananas?

Giraffes and reticulated giraffes tend to eat vegetation that grows in the wild and any fruit that is easily accessible to them. They usually feed on leaves like acacia leaves from the acacia tree. Bananas in small amounts are helpful and healthy for giraffes. 

However, if they eat bananas in large amounts, they may have serious digestive issues. Just like cows, giraffes also chew the cud. Because of this, the bananas can get fermented and cause serious gestational problems for the giraffe.

It is thus best to avoid giraffe feeding by giving them bananas. Just like the reticulated giraffe, Masai giraffes are also a breed of giraffes.

They grow to become the largest in height among all the giraffe species. The Masai giraffe can also eat bananas if they find them in the wild. They must be careful about how many they eat.

Do giraffes eat celery?

Zoo giraffes spend most of their lives around humans. This makes them familiar and accustomed to human food. Giraffes rarely ever get to eat celery in their natural wild habitat and have to depend upon the leaves they get from the trees that grow around them, like the acacia tree.

In confinement, giraffes are offered a range of fruits, veggies, and foliage, though every zoo has a special menu for these towering beasts. Lettuces, beets, apples, bananas, and alfalfa grass are some of the most typical foods fed to giraffes. To mimic the giraffe's native feeding activity, several zoos lift these food items high in the air.

In regard to fruits and vegetables, zookeepers frequently supply leafy branches for their animals to consume. Alders, elms, ficus, ash, and poplar are some of the most frequent trees to use for this function. Giraffes grip a short branch with their mouths and rip it off with their upper lips when eating this type of food.

Do giraffes eat cucumbers?

Giraffes can eat many types of fruits and vegetables when kept in confinement, such as in cages, zoos, or national parks.

In the wild, where these giant creatures are naturally found, there aren't many vegetables or fresh fruits around for them to eat. Cucumbers are one such vegetable.

In the wild, their diet includes only leaves, grass and occasionally, they might get some fruits. However, since vegetation is scarce in the desert forests of Africa, they need to rely on whatever they can find.

Cucumbers are definitely not a part of the giraffe's original or natural diet. This, however, does not mean they cannot have it. Cucumbers can be given to giraffes as they are cooling and filled with water.

Do giraffes eat birds?

Giraffes are herbivorous animals. They do not eat meat, and their digestive system is not equipped to digest meat.

They don't kill other animals for their food. Giraffes don't eat birds. They do chew on bones occasionally to get the required calcium and phosphorus from those bones. These bones are from animals who were already killed by other carnivores. The giraffes do not kill animals on their own.

Do giraffes eat jarrah trees?

Jarrah trees are found in Australia. Giraffes primarily feed on trees and leaves.

If they find a jarrah tree in their natural habitat, they will surely eat the tree's leaves; however, giraffes don't usually eat jarrah tree leaves. Giraffes have an entirely plant-based diet. They do not eat meat. So if the jarrah tree is a part of their natural habitat, they would certainly eat the tree's leaves.

Do giraffes eat jackalberry trees?

The African ebony tree, also known as the jackalberry tree, grows in Africa's hot savanna grasslands and woods. The name is derived from the seeds of the jackalberry fruit, which are also frequently discovered in jackal excrement.

Jackalberry trees provide us with an essential supply of nutrition for humans, animals, and birds, as well as gorgeous timber for household items and pharmaceuticals. A lot of wildlife and birds feed on the produce of the jackalberry tree. Impalas, warthogs, baboons, and hornbills gorge themselves on the fruits.

Numerous different animals, such as giraffes, elephants, and rhinoceroses, consume the tree's leaf. The leaves are also an essential source of food for the bushveld emperor butterfly. Fresh-faced jackalberry trees do not shed their leaves, but they do so in the early summer as they age. Fresh pinkish-orange leaves begin to sprout just about instantly.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for what do giraffes eat, then why not take a look at how do giraffes sleep or how long do giraffes sleep?