Which mammal is the tallest living terrestrial animal?

The giraffe is the tallest living terrestrial animal. Members of the genus Giraffa can reach roughly 5.8 metres from the ground to the top of the head, putting them well above every other living land mammal.

That height comes from unusually long legs and a greatly elongated neck. Giraffes still have the standard seven cervical vertebrae found in most mammals, but each vertebra is exceptionally extended. Their height lets them browse leaves, flowers, and fruit high in trees, especially acacias, beyond the reach of many competing herbivores.

A giraffe’s height also creates a major circulatory challenge. Its heart is powerful, and its thick blood vessels and specialized valves help maintain blood pressure when the animal raises or lowers its head. A network of vessels near the brain helps reduce sudden pressure changes.

The giraffe is sometimes confused with the tallest individual species or subspecies, but the quiz answer is correctly the animal as a group. The okapi is its closest living relative, yet it is far shorter and lives mainly in the forests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.