Giraffes are the tallest land animals that exist, reaching up to 6 meters from the legs to the head, which, without a doubt, makes them really striking and easily spotted. They are social, although they do not usually establish long-lasting links between them, so their groups constantly change, with exchanges between their members. It used to be thought that they were mute and that they did not emit any type of sound. However, like all animals, they do communicate and do so using various means. Keep reading this article on our site and discover how giraffes communicate
Giraffe communication
Animals often have diverse and complex interaction systems with which they manage to communicate when they are near and far. Giraffes are no exception. These artiodactyls use physical or tactile, chemical, visual and auditory means to transmit information, mainly between individuals of the same species.
Physical or tactile communication
Occurs above all among males, in order to measure strength, establish the hierarchy of the group and have the initial privilege of copulating with a female. In this sense, males send signals through body posture. To do this, they walk upright, with their heads fully raised and their legs steady. Later, they perform an act known as necking, which in English means "necking". It can be done in two ways. In one of them the males will only measure their strength by crossing their long necks and pressing against each other. The one who manages to maintain the strongest position will be the winner. Another option is a really violent confrontation, hitting each other with force, for which they use their ossicones, which are bony structures similar to horns that, due to their hardness and the force used by the animal to move its neck, can cause important and serious injuries. damage, such as neck fractures or fatal injuries. Sometimes, after the confrontation, the males can caress each other and remain in the same group for some time without further confrontation.
On the other hand, although the males do not participate in the care of the young, they can have some interaction with them, which includes physical communication. The females, for their part, organize themselves and communicate to take care of the small giraffes, since, on numerous occasions, the mothers move away in search of food and water. In these cases, the adult females take turns caring for them, producing a communicative interaction.
Chemical communication
As for chemical forms of communication, giraffes have a highly developed sense of smell that allows them to perceive odors efficiently. However, they have a peculiarity, since in order for the male to detect whether or not a female is in heat, he must taste her urine. For this he can stimulate her to urinate, if she has not done so. Then, the male shows the Flehmen reflex, which consists of retracting the lips, so that the organ is exposed vomeronasal, highly sensitive to chemical compounds such as hormones. Once the urine has been tested, the male will know the physiological disposition of the female for reproduction and, if it is positive, he will proceed to mount her. Otherwise, he will look for another to proceed in the same way
Visual comunication
Giraffes also communicate visually. This occurs mainly as a prevention mechanism. When they move away from the group, they remain alert thanks to the vision they can have of large areas due to their height. If they detect any danger, they notify the pack so that they are prepared to launch their main defense mechanism, which consists of kicking hard.
Auditory communication
Another way these animals interact is through the emission of certain sounds, some of which are audible to people, although they are not usually very frequent. The others are infrasounds are not perceivable by humans or many other animals.
Do giraffes have vocal cords?
Some studies[1] on the anatomy of the giraffe's mouth do not mention or describe vocal cords, which seems confirm that they do not. For this reason and because they are not normally heard making any noise for a long time, the idea that they were mute became widespread. However, it has been proven that this is not true. In fact, interact constantly by means of sounds of very low frequency, although they also occasionally emit others that are audible.
What sound do giraffes make?
In addition to infrasonic sounds, giraffes, in particular circumstances, can emit a kind of grunts, moans, snores or whistles to communicate. These vocalizations allow them to issue a warning in alert situations. To do this they can make a specific growl or snort. Also, when the mothers do not visualize the young, they call them through audible sounds. The young respond, in turn, by making a noise. On the other hand, it has been reported that, during courtship, the males can generate a kind of shrill cough towards the female. In short, the various types of communication of giraffes constitute a complex system of interaction that allows them to transmit all kinds of information, mainly between members of their species.
If you have been fascinated by giraffes, don't miss our article Curiosities about giraffes to continue learning about them.
