Today's facts

Giraffes are the tallest land animals.

Source

• Giraffe — San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance (opens in a new tab)

A giraffe's tongue is about 46 centimetres long.

Source

• Giraffe — San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance (opens in a new tab)

Elephants flap their big ears to cool down on hot days.

Source

• Elephant — San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance (opens in a new tab)

Every zebra has its own stripe pattern; no two zebras are alike.

Source

• Zebra — San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance (opens in a new tab)

Lions can rest and sleep for up to 21 hours a day.

Source

• Lion — San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance (opens in a new tab)

The cheetah is the fastest land mammal and can run at up to about 112 kilometres per hour.

Source

• Cheetah — San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance (opens in a new tab)

Cheetahs are the only cats with black "tear marks" on their faces.

Source

• Cheetah — San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance (opens in a new tab)

Lions are the only cats that live in large social groups called prides.

Source

• Lion — San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance (opens in a new tab)

A lion's roar can be heard up to 4.8 kilometres away.

Source

• Lion — San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance (opens in a new tab)

Leopards often store their kill high up in trees so lions and hyenas can't take it.

Source

• Leopard — African Wildlife Foundation (opens in a new tab)

Hippos can't swim or even float; they walk or push off along the bottom of the river.

Source

• Hippo — San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance (opens in a new tab)

Hippos make a reddish "blood sweat" that protects their skin from sunburn.

Source

• Hippo — San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance (opens in a new tab)

Some dung beetles can navigate using the Milky Way, shown in experiments in the Wits University planetarium; they were the first animals known to do so.

Source

• Navigating life through the eyes of a gogga — University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) (opens in a new tab)

An elephant's trunk contains about 40,000 muscles.

Source

• African Elephant — National Geographic (opens in a new tab)

Elephant pregnancies last about 22 months, longer than almost any other mammal.

Source

• Elephant — African Wildlife Foundation (opens in a new tab)

Rhino horn is made of keratin, the same material as human hair and nails.

Sources

• White rhino — Save the Rhino International (opens in a new tab)
• Rhinoceros — African Wildlife Foundation (opens in a new tab)

The white rhino is actually grey; its name is thought to come from a Dutch word meaning "wide", for its wide, square lips.

Sources

• White rhino — Save the Rhino International (opens in a new tab)
• Rhinoceros — African Wildlife Foundation (opens in a new tab)

No two African wild dogs have exactly the same markings.

Source

• African Wild Dog — African Wildlife Foundation (opens in a new tab)

Giraffes need only 5 to 30 minutes of sleep in 24 hours.

Source

• Giraffe — San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance (opens in a new tab)

A giraffe's neck has seven vertebrae, the same number as a human's.

Source

• Giraffe — San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance (opens in a new tab)