The Role of the Neck in the Movements of the Giraffe

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Abstract
The role of the neck in the movement of the giraffe was studied by examining motion picture sequences of wild giraffe. Unlike in the horse, the forequarters in the giraffe are stronger than the hindquarters. When beginning a galloping or a walking stride, the neck moves forward in line with the power stroke of the forelegs, thus decreasing the weight on the hind legs and moving the center of gravity of the animal forward. At the end of each stride, when the hoofs again touch the ground, the neck moves backward in order to decrease the forward momentum of the giraffe and enable him to keep his balance. When the angle of the neck on the back is plotted against time, the graph is like a sine curve. The movements of a giraffe climbing a fence, getting up from lying down and raising himself from the drinking position are considered briefly.

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