allowing it to blend in the light and shade patterns of savanna

Fully grown giraffes stand 5–6 m (16–20 ft) tall, with males taller than females.[12] The average weight is 1,192 kg (2,630 lb) for an adult male and 828 kg (1,830 lb) for an adult female.[26] Despite its long neck and legs, the giraffe's body is relatively short.[27]:66 Located at both sides of the head, the giraffe's large, bulging eyes give it good all-round vision from its great height.[28]:25 Giraffes see in color[28]:26 and their senses of hearing and smell are also sharp.[13] The animal can close its muscular nostrils to protect against sandstorms and ants.[28]:27 The giraffe's prehensile tongue is about 50 cm (20 in) long. It is purplish-black in color, perhaps to protect against sunburn, and is useful for grasping foliage, as well as for grooming and cleaning the animal's nose.[28]:27 The upper lip of the giraffe is also prehensile and useful when foraging. The lips, tongue and inside of the mouth are covered in papillae to protect against thorns.[12]
File:Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata-atTobuZoo-2012.ogv

(video) A pair of giraffes at Tobu Zoo, in Saitama, Japan
The coat has dark blotches or patches (which can be orange, chestnut, brown or nearly black in color[13]) separated by light hair (usually white or cream in color[13]). Male giraffes become darker as they age.[24] The coat pattern serves as camouflage, allowing it to blend in the light and shade patterns of savanna woodlands.[9][15] The skin underneath the dark areas may serve as windows for thermoregulation, being sites for complex blood vessel systems and large sweat glands.[29] Each individual giraffe has a unique coat pattern.[24] The skin of a giraffe is mostly gray.[26] It is also thick and allows it to run through thorn bush without being punctured.[28]:34 The fur may serve as a chemical defence, as its parasite repellents give the animal a characteristic scent. At least 11 main aromatic chemicals are in the fur, although indole and 3-methylindole are responsible for most of the smell. Because the males have a stronger odor than the females, the odor may also have sexual function.[30] Along the animal's neck is a mane made of short, erect hairs.[12] The one-meter (3.3-ft) tail ends in a long, dark tuft of hair and is used as a defense against insects