San Diego Zoo Shows Cute Video of Baby Giraffe ‘Folding’ Himself Up
Did you know that at birth, baby giraffes are already 6 feet tall, making them taller than the majority of humans out there. They stand up soon after they are born, and then spend the rest of their lives doing a lot of standing, which makes it trickier for predators to attack them. San Diego Zoo shared a video on Saturday, April 6th of their newest baby giraffe named Elliott as he takes a rest by 'folding' himself up.
Well, folding isn't the actual term, but it's way cuter than saying that he bends himself up! The zoo explains that giraffes will occasionally sit or lie down during the day by tucking their very long legs underneath their body. Listen in as they share how much time giraffes spend standing up and napping during the day.
I was surprised to hear that they only sleep for 40 minutes a day in the wild! San Diego Zoo commenters were just as surprised as I was by the news. @Buffy was shocked and asked, "40 mins total?!" and the Zoo replied, "Yup! Wild right!" and I couldn't agree more with @21 all day who added, "Thats sad. Nap time is the best time!"
Related: San Diego Zoo Shares Sweetest Facts About Their Baby Giraffe
Surprising Sleeping Facts About Giraffes
Clearly at the zoo giraffes aren't worried about predators, so I wondered if giraffes in captivity sleep longer than those in the wild. I did a quick bit of research and found that yes they do...but not by much. In captivity, giraffes only sleep about 4-1/2 hours a day. I guess they're insomniacs!
Giraffes have one of the shortest sleep durations among all land mammals, and according to Wildlife FAQ, "On average, adult giraffes sleep for about 30 minutes a night, and their sleep cycles are typically around 35 minutes or shorter. This brief period of sleep is divided into short bursts that rarely exceed five minutes. Despite their limited sleep time, giraffes seem to function well and thrive in their natural habitat." Baby giraffes sleep a bit more and depend on their mothers for protection. They go on to say that adults sleep so little to protect themselves from predators and because of how much they eat; they're constantly on the move for food, "To survive and meet their nutritional needs, giraffes prioritize feeding over sleep, dedicating more time to grazing and digesting food."
They also sleep standing up, "This adaptation is vital for their survival, as lying down for extended periods would leave them vulnerable to attacks." I can't imagine that it's easy for them to get up quickly considering their height and weight.
Interestingly, much like humans, when giraffes are stressed their sleep habits change. Some giraffes will sleep even less than usual, and Africa Freak shared, "When giraffes move from one zoo to another, or lose a mate, they tend to sleep for fewer hours than normal. Or end up losing their sleep altogether." Understandable given the circumstances, and most humans probably would do the same!
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