Circulatory System

   

Giraffes have one of the most powerful hearts of all mammals weighing approximately 24 pounds and measuring 2 feet long!

Giraffes have long necks which means that their heart must work very hard to pump the blood up the neck to the brain. This makes their blood pressure double the amount of most mammals! In the upper portion of their necks there is a complex pressure regulatation system that maintains blood flow when the giraffe bends down to drink. In their brain there are elastic blood vessels that connect to one way valves in the neck to prevent the head from swellin when they bend over. If these things did not exist a giraffe would not be able to survive.

In their legs the vessels are under great pressure, so much that any other animal would not be able to handle it. Fortunately, giraffes have a layer of tight skin on their legs to maintain pressure and keep the vessels from bursting. Their thick skin and inner fascia also prevents blood pooling and excessive bleeding if the giraffe were to ever get cut. NASA scientists are studying this adaptation of the giraffe and looking into creating a similar material for gravity-suits.