Giraffe Coloring Pages

• Reticulated giraffe: large, sharp-edged brown patches separated by thin white lines, like a net
• Masai giraffe: darker patches with jagged edges, shaped a bit like oak leaves
• Giraffe calf: about six feet tall at birth and on its feet within an hour
• Eating giraffe: a tongue around 18 inches long strips leaves from thorny acacia trees
• Drinking giraffe: it has to spread its front legs wide to get its mouth down to the water
• Giraffe pair: males swing their necks at each other in contests called necking
• Tower of giraffes: a group of giraffes is called a tower

The giraffe is the tallest animal on land. A big male can reach about 18 feet. Its neck has seven bones, the same number as yours, but each one can be around ten inches long. The two horn-like bumps on its head are called ossicones, and they are covered in skin and hair. A giraffe's tongue is dark purple-black, which may protect it from sunburn while it feeds. No two giraffes have the same pattern of patches. Giraffes sleep very little, often in short naps while standing up. They get most of their water from the leaves they eat, so they don't need to drink every day.

Work from light to dark. First color the whole body a pale cream or light tan, including the lines between the patches. Then fill each patch with orange-brown, chestnut or dark brown, staying a little inside the outline. Patches get smaller on the face and legs, and the lower legs are often plain and pale. The mane is short and brown, the tail ends in a black tuft, and the ossicones have dark tips. Acacia trees have flat tops, so color the leaves as a wide green umbrella.