We’ve all seen a video or two of giraffes doing something silly. Most of the time, it’s because they stick their head through someone’s window at a drive-through petting zoo. Other times, it’s because they’re doing something strange with their tongue. This Instagram post by @tarongazoo shows a giraffe seemingly trying to catch rain with its tongue. Read here to learn more!
Giraffes often appear regal.
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Silly Giraffe
The video above is hilarious to watch. The giraffe in the video is trying its best to lick up any rain that it can, sticking its tongue out in weird shapes and angles. Their long, blue tongues are always interesting to see, and this video is no exception. While giraffes are almost regal in their tall stature, it’s always fun to see them act goofy like this. Giraffes’ tongues are surprisingly long, growing to between 18 and 20 inches. This length makes their tongues prehensile, allowing them to grasp leaves and other plants they eat. Their tongues are dark in color, and it is theorized that this pigmentation helps protect them from sun exposure due to the amount of time they spend eating. Because giraffes eat many thorny plants, their tongues are tough and coated with thick saliva, which makes it easier to consume these otherwise painful plants.
What makes the video so funny is that giraffes do not drink as much water as you might think. Given how long their necks are, leaning down to drink can be uncomfortable. Instead, by eating lots of plants and leaves, giraffes can get the water they need from their diet. In this video, the rainwater comes to the giraffe, so it doesn’t have to lean down to drink. This may explain why it is so excited to try to catch the rain with its tongue. While it is unknown if giraffes purposefully seek out rainwater to drink, the video is nonetheless hilarious to see.
