Why don’t giraffes have a brain hemorrhage?
Why don’t these animals feel dizzy?
How does the elevator system in the giraffes’ alimentary canal work?
Through which system is the sudden increase in tension that occurs when they bend their heads controlled?
Why do giraffes prefer to sleep standing up?
The giraffe is the tallest of the animals that dwell on land with its four to five meters height. Because of its height, it is essential to transfer blood from its heart to its brain that is two meters high. It needs an extraordinarily strong heart for this. However, the giraffe’s heart is bigger than its head and it has a length of almost 60 cm and a weight of 11.8 kg.
The heart of the giraffe is strong enough to pump blood with a pressure of 350 mm Hg. In other words, even if the giraffe’s blood pressure reaches to 35, this situation would not harm the giraffe. The hearts of giraffes, which have the highest blood pressure among living creatures, have a heart rate of 170 times per minute and it can pump 75 liters of blood to its whole body.
The amount of blood cells in the giraffe is twice the amount found in human beings.
When the giraffes lift their heads after they eat and drank, their hearts have to work twice as hard in order to pump enough blood to their brains. Thus, how does this system that, under normal conditions, is strong enough to cause the death of many living creatures, not harm the giraffe? The reason for this is that this system is inside a special chamber covered with tiny veins to avoid the lethal effect of this pressure.
How come the Giraffe does not have a Brain Hemorrhage?
In the section from the giraffe’s head to heart; there is a “U” system formed by the veins climbing up and coming down. The blood veins flowing in the opposite direction zeroes the total pressure and thus the animal is saved from an inner pressure that could lead to sudden hemorrhages.
The legs and feet that are below the heart level also need special protection. The skin on the legs and feet of the giraffe are so thick it protects it from the negative effects of the blood pressure. In addition, inside the veins, there are valves that control the pressure by balancing the intense blood flow.
The actual danger comes out when the animal bends its head to the ground to drink water. The blood pressure, which is normally severe enough to cause brain hemorrhage increases even more in this situation. But a flawless precaution is taken in the face of this danger. The liquid secreted in the body called “cephalorhachidian” steps in and decreases the amount of blood pumped by minimizing the heart volume.
On the other hand, there are special valves in the animal’s neck that become active when it bends down. These valves decrease the blood flow considerably and thus the giraffe can drink water in safety and raise its head again. The giraffe’s multiplex veins being thick is again a precation taken against this danger of pressure.
How come giraffes don’t faint?
The giraffes spend a lot of time to raise their heads up and therefore there needs to be a flawless system in their bodies for blood to be transferred to their brains. This system is composed of a heart working as a very strong pump and blood pressure which is twice higher than that of a human being. In this way, giraffes are protected against fainting.
When the giraffe raises its head, the veins on the head do not transfer all the blood to its cheeks, tongue or other sections of the head like skin; but instead transfer it to the brain. In addition, the thick skin of the animal and an extraordinary muscle in its jugular vein –veins normally do not have muscles- pressurizes the vein that carries blood back from the head to the heart. The giraffe does not faint as it is created with a mechanism better than that of humans which prevents fainting.
The Creation of Giraffes is One of the Examples of Allah’s Superior Creation
No doubt, the giraffes could not have acquired all of these characteristics by planning according to their own needs. It is not possible that these important characteristics are formed slowly through an evolutionary process. Because for a giraffe to maintain its life, it needs to possess a pumping system that transfers blood to the brain, a valve system that decreases sudden blood pressure when it bends down, and a vein system that prevents fainting when it raises its head at the same time. If one of these does not exist or work properly, it becomes impossible for the giraffe to maintain its life.
Allah created the giraffes and, like all other living beings in the world, there are many manifestation of Allah’s superior art of Creation in the bodies of giraffes. Allah reveals this in one verse of the Quran:
“And in your creation and all the creatures He has spread about there are signs for people with certainty.” (Surat al-Jathiyya, 4)
Unknown Characteristics of Giraffes
There is an elevator system in their alimentary canals: The giraffes height enables them to reach the branches at the top of the trees and eat the rods and plants there. However, these prickly plants they swallow without even chewing first go down to their stomachs made of four sections. After reaching the first section the giraffe’s stomach sends these back to the mouth to digest and chew them. Finally, they swallow and send it to another section of the stomach. However, for the nutrient to be sent from the stomach to the mouth, the plants they swallow need to be moved up through their necks, which is a few meters tall. Our Almighty Allah created giraffes with an elevator-like system, which will lift the nutrients up from the alimentary canal.
The mouth and teeth structure is created according to their needs: The giraffes’ tongues can reach out 45 cm and because their teeth are like a comb, they can easily chew the thorns of hard acacia branches and bones that meet their calcium needs.
Their colors are created in accordance with their environment: The speckled skins of giraffes are created suitable for camouflage. Having the same color as the color of the environment they are in makes it difficult for them to be recognized by other predators.
Their bodies are created in a way to be able to run fast: Giraffes can reach to speeds of 50-70 km by running at moments of danger. When they begin to run, they move their heads back and forth like pumping it and they crook their tails. Another characteristic employed while running is that they cannot cross their legs when they run like other animals.
Living in small groups form a safe environment: Giraffes look after their offspring all together. Adult giraffes take turn in keeping watch over their offspring. This security system allows other giraffe to leave their baby giraffes and go many kilometers away to search for food.
Almighty Allah also created the sleeping styles of giraffes very specific:
Because it is difficult for them to rise when they sit down, they sleep by prolonging their necks to the side of their rear end. In addition, all giraffes never sleep at the same time. One of them always keeps watch.
The communication between the mother giraffe and the offspring is a manifestation of Almighty Allah’s Mercy: Within the next couple of days after its birth, the mother giraffe spends it time by licking and smelling its offspring. In this way, the baby is both cleaned and the mother memorizes the baby’s smell. This mechanism of smell works when the mother and the baby need to find one another inside a crowded herd.
When the baby is in a difficult situation it makes various noises to draw the attention of its mother. Its mother recognizes the call and runs for help. Giraffes never leave their offspring. When they are attacked, they push their offspring underneath their bodies and attack their enemies by kicking hard with their front legs.