How tall is a male giraffe?
Males may exceed 5.5 m (18 feet). The game scores 5.5 m. An 18 ft 1 in reading is derived from 5.5 m and is not what Britannica prints.
Giraffe height
A male giraffe may exceed 5.5 m (18 feet) in standing height. The tallest females are about 4.5 m, a newborn is about 2 m, and the 6 m (20 ft) figure is how high it can feed, not how tall it stands. Our game scores against 5.5 m. An 18 ft 1 in reading is derived from 5.5 m; Britannica prints 18 feet.
The measurement we use
| Object | Giraffe (male) |
|---|---|
| Dimension | height |
| Caliber | adult male upper end |
| Value | 5.5 m (18 ft) |
| Value type | B · reviewed compilation — sourced fact |
| Checked |
Why our number may differ from somewhere else you read
Different published figures usually measure different things. The first row is the one our game scores.
| Published figure | What it actually counts | Where you will see it | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.5 m (18 ft) | adult male upper end | britannica.com | B |
| 4.5 m (14.8 ft) | the tallest females are about this | Britannica | B |
| 6 m (20 ft) | feeding reach with the tongue, not standing height | Britannica | B |
| 2 m (6 ft) | newborn calf | Britannica | B |
How big is it next to something you can touch
- New Routemaster is 4.42 m tall. Set next to that, Giraffe (male) is about 1.2 times as tall as New Routemaster.
- Utility pole is about 10 m tall. Set next to that, Giraffe (male) is about 1.8 times shorter than Utility pole.
People also ask
How tall is a female giraffe?
Britannica says the tallest females are about 4.5 m (14.8 ft). That figure is not the one the game scores.
Is a giraffe 20 feet tall?
The 6 m (20 ft) sentence is how high a giraffe can feed, using its tongue. It is not standing height.
Source for this number
britannica.com B, checked . Males may exceed 5.5 m (18 feet). Females are about 4.5 m and are not scored. Britannica prints 18 feet. An 18 ft 1 in reading is derived from 5.5 m and is not the printed figure.
Think this number is wrong?
We re-verify every reported value against its source before the next release, and log the change on the change log. Send the object name, the number you saw, and a link that states it. A primary source moves fastest.