We're answering YOUR giraffe questions!

You asked us YOUR questions about giraffes on Facebook, and today our Cheyenne Mountain Zoo animal keepers have answers.

Cheyenne Shumock-Miller asked: How long do they stay this size?! Or close to it?

Giraffe calves can grow up to nine inches during the first month of life and continue to grow rapidly in the first year. After that, their growth slows to less than an inch per year. The giraffe is the tallest living land animal. Males can reach a height of 16-18 feet, while females are somewhat smaller, averaging 14-16 feet.

Colorado Vacation Directory asked: Do you have a name yet?

It is Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s tradition to name newborns after they are 30 days old. Once he’s been named, we will make an announcement!  

Candice Huffman-Tidd asked: Do you actually breed the animals? Or does this happen on its own?

Our two bull giraffes, Khalid and Mawimbi, spend their days in their own outside yards or indoor stalls – separated from each other and from the rest of the herd. This replicates how they would live in the wild, as older male giraffes often live on their own. Based on breeding recommendations, we select one female at a time from our herd to spend time with one of our males. After the two giraffes are placed together, keepers watch for any signs of pregnancy.

Chelsea Leger Dayberry asked: How often do they have babies?

Giraffes can breed throughout the year. They have a gestation period of 14 to 15 months. Female giraffes can give birth up to eight times in a lifetime.

Helen Thomson-Olson asked: Is it true the older a giraffe becomes, their spots get darker?

When they are born, giraffe spots are lighter in color, but they will darken in the first year.  After that, their coloring remains basically the same for the rest of their lives. Giraffes are known for their spotted coats, but did you know that it is actually the pattern of their skin? Every giraffe has a unique pattern of spots. Our reticulated giraffes have large brown spots separated by cream-colored lines. Males are darker than females.

Rhiannon Gelner-Norton asked: Why do they lick the poles in their exhibit, both inside and outside?

Giraffes are "browsers," which are animals that primarily eat leaves of trees and shrubs. In the wild, they could spend up to 75% of the day browsing and eating. At our Zoo, they do not have to work as hard to find food, but have the instincts to browse for that length of time, so they “browse” on the poles out of instinctual habit.  

Rubyann Alfonso asked: How much do they weigh when they're born?

Our newest giraffe calf weighed 104 pounds and was 5’ 4” tall at birth. Calves can weigh up to 200 pounds when they are born, and stand as tall as 6 feet.

Nyah Stier asked: Why do giraffes have brown spots, and why do they have a long neck?

Reticulated giraffes are the most distinctively patterned of the eight subspecies of giraffe. Their elaborate pattern is good camouflage in dense, dry vegetation. Their necks also help them survive in the dense and dry vegetation– making it possible for them to eat food that is unavailable to most other ground-dwelling mammals.

Catherine Tran asked: How soon after birth do giraffe babies get up?

Within 30 to 60 minutes of being born, the calf is up and ready to go! It will continue to walk awkwardly for the next few days as it gets used to maneuvering its new, and very long, legs. Mother giraffes give birth while standing up – making a giraffe calf’s first experience in the world a five-foot fall to the ground! This introduction may seem harsh, but it is very important. The fall severs the umbilical cord, while stimulating the calf to take its first breath of air. Mother will then lick her calf until it is ready to try standing.