Giraffe, South Africa, on 140lb watercolor paper. The African giraffe (*Giraffa camelopardalis*) is the tallest living terrestrial animal on Earth, standing up to 18 feet (5.5 meters) tall, with its extraordinarily long neck alone accounting for up to 6 feet of that height. Its coat is a striking pattern of irregular, rust-brown or orange patches separated by cream-colored lines, a pattern unique to each individual much like a human fingerprint. Despite its towering stature, the giraffe is an elegant and relatively peaceful herbivore, using its long, dark purplish tongue — which can stretch up to 18 inches — to pluck leaves, flowers, and fruits from the tops of acacia and other trees that most animals cannot reach. It roams the savannas, grasslands, and open woodlands of sub-Saharan Africa, often in loose herds, and relies on its incredible height not only for feeding but also as a natural watchtower to spot predators like lions and hyenas from great distances. Its legs are so long that drinking water requires the giraffe to awkwardly splay or bend them wide apart to reach the surface — a vulnerable position it tries to spend as little time in as possible. Surprisingly, giraffes share the same number of neck vertebrae as humans — just seven — though each bone can be over 10 inches long. They are truly one of nature's most magnificent and instantly recognizable creatures.
