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  • 12 hours ago
The weather can be unpredictable. AccuWeather's Ariella Scalese explains how giraffes are built to deal with severe weather conditions like wind and rain.
Transcript
00:00When you're the tallest animal on earth, there's no hiding from the rain.
00:04So what happens when a downpour or strong wind moves in?
00:07For giraffes, their height is actually an advantage.
00:10On the open savannah, they can often see storms building from miles away,
00:14giving them time to shift position or move towards more sheltered ground.
00:17Their bodies are built for extremes, too.
00:20Giraffes have some of the highest blood pressure of any land animal,
00:23necessary to pump blood up from that long neck.
00:26Specialized valves help keep circulation steady even when they lower their heads or brace in the wind.
00:32And while they may look top-heavy, they're incredibly stable.
00:35Long, powerful legs and a wide stance help them stay balanced in gusty conditions.
00:40Of course, they're not invincible.
00:42Lightning, flash flooding, and prolonged extreme weather can still pose risks.
00:45But a typical heavy rainstorm for a giraffe, that's just part of life on the savannah.
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