How many ossicones does a giraffe have

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Please check your email to confirm your subscription. You will not be subscribed until we receive your confirmation. All rights reserved unless otherwise stated. Some giraffes have three ossicones. Two at the back of the head and one in the center between the eyes.

And as you can see further down in this article, some of the extinct relatives to the giraffe have four ossicones! This is just one of the many wonders in nature and we would probably never find out exactly why this type of giraffe has an extra horn. And you may wonder how it can defend itself from other animals. In order to defend itself, it can actually knock even big cats out so they become unconscious for a while. This gives the giraffe an opportunity to run away before the predator wakes up again.

As the giraffe swings his head these little horns add extra weight and therefore extra speed to the swing. So it might be an advantage for the giraffe to have them after all even though they might look funny and not seem important.

They are covered with skin and are not pointy like antlers and real horns. Just like that. The ossicones are covered with skin so they are not like antlers.

They are not hard like horns either. When you touch ossicones they feel soft and firm like the legs of the giraffe. This is also one of the main differences between the ossicones of the giraffe and actual horns. Yes, humming! They produce an infrasound frequency with a rich harmonic structure that cannot be detected by the human ear. Animals will form temporary sub-groups fusion for certain activities, such as sleeping. Then at other times they will split into different sub-groups fission for a different activity, such as foraging.

Skip to content. Giraffe Facts. The Science of Living Large. Learn more about giraffes and how you can help them in the wild! Mail: P. Tickets H ours Donate Search. Plan Visit. About Us. Giraffes are amazingly unique animals, with a lot of interesting features and behaviors. Here are 7 things that you may have always been curious about when seeing these lanky long necks.