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What Kind of Diet Does a Giraffe Have?

With 6-foot-long legs and equally long necks, giraffes are the tallest animals on four legs, according to the San Diego Zoo website. These yellow-and-brown herbivores enjoy a diet of leaves and occasional thorns.

  1. Diet

    • In the wild, giraffes eat the leaves of tall trees. They prefer those of the acacia tree, which are very thorny.

    Tongue

    • Their tongues are 18 inches long and prehensile, which means they're capable of grasping things. The long tongues allow giraffes to reach around thorns.

    In Captivity

    • In zoos, giraffes are fed acacia leaves, hay, carrots and biscuits designed for leaf-eaters.

    Quantity

    • Giraffes eat all day and may consume 75 pounds of food per day, according to the San Diego Zoo.

    Water

    • Giraffes are hunted by lions and crocodiles, and they're at their most vulnerable when they bend down for a drink of water. Acacia leaves contain a lot of water, allowing them to go a long time between drinks.

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