You’d think a neck that long would have serious blood pressure issues—like, your brain would explode when you bend down. But giraffes have a super-powered heart that pumps blood like a fire hose, and special valves in their neck veins that prevent fainting.
Very Long Neck Giraffe at Alannah Wrigley blog
They also have a unique web of blood vessels called the rete mirabile (fancy Latin for “miraculous net”) that keeps blood flowing smoothly to the brain. It’s basically a biological engineering marvel, and it’s so cool.
So next time you feel dizzy standing up too fast, just remember: a giraffe would laugh at your weak neck. Then it would probably judge you silently from ten feet up.
Fun Fact That Will Make You Smile
Did you know a giraffe’s neck has only seven vertebrae? Same as yours! The difference is each one is over ten inches long. You have the same number of neck bones; theirs are just very stretched out.
Imagine if you woke up tomorrow and each bone in your neck was a foot long. You’d look ridiculous, but also amazing. You’d be the star of every party, until you tried to use a pillow.
And just like that, you and a giraffe are nearly identical in neck-bone count. Evolution is a crazy, wonderful artist, and sometimes it just uses the same paintbrush but waaaaay bigger.
