Locomotion
Giraffes only have two ways of moving, walking and galloping. Walking is done by moving the legs on one side of the body at the same time, then doing the same on the other side. When galloping, the hind legs move around the front legs before the latter move forward, and the tail will curl up. The giraffe relies on its head and neck to move back and forth while galloping to maintain balance and to counter momentum. When the giraffe is running, the top speed it can go is 37 mph. |