Editing Giraffe (section)

===Legs, locomotion and posture===
[[File:Masai Giraffe right-rear foot.jpg|thumb|upright|left|alt=Photograph of giraffe's hind leg|Right hind leg of a Masai giraffe at the [[San Diego Zoo]]]]
The front legs tend to be longer than the hind legs,<ref name=Dagg2014/>{{rp|109}} and males have proportionally longer front legs than females, which gives them better support when swinging their necks during fights.<ref name=Cavener2024/> The leg bones lack first, second and fifth [[metapodial]]s.<ref name=Dagg2014/>{{rp|109}} It appears that a [[suspensory ligament]] allows the lanky legs to support the animal's great weight.<ref>{{cite web |author=Wood, C. |date=2014 |title=Groovy giraffes...distinct bone structures keep these animals upright|publisher=[[Society for Experimental Biology]] |url=http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-07/sfeb-ggd070314.php|access-date=7 May 2014|archive-date=25 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181125074805/https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-07/sfeb-ggd070314.php|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[hoof|hooves]] of large male giraffes reach {{cvt|31|x|23|cm}} in diameter.<ref name=Dagg2014/>{{rp|98}} The [[fetlock]] of the leg is low to the ground, allowing the hoof to better support the animal's weight. Giraffes lack [[dewclaw]]s and interdigital glands. While the pelvis is relatively short, the [[Ilium (bone)|ilium]] has stretched-out crests.<ref name=Dagg1971/>

A giraffe has only two [[gait]]s: walking and galloping. Walking is done by moving the legs on one side of the body, then doing the same on the other side.<ref name=estes/> When galloping, the hind legs move around the front legs before the latter move forward,<ref name="Prothero 2003"/> and the tail will curl up.<ref name=estes/> The movements of the head and neck provide balance and control momentum while galloping.<ref name=Kingdon1988/>{{rp|327–29}} The giraffe can reach a sprint speed of up to {{cvt|60|km/h}},<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Garland |first1=T. |last2=J. |first2=C. M. |year=1993 | title=Does metatarsal/femur ratio predict maximal running speed in cursorial mammals? |url=http://www.biology.ucr.edu/people/faculty/Garland/GarlandJanis1993.pdf |journal=Journal of Zoology |volume=229 |issue=1 |pages=133–51 |doi=10.1111/j.1469-7998.1993.tb02626.x |access-date=25 April 2010 |archive-date=20 November 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181120033719/https://biology.ucr.edu/people/faculty/Garland/GarlandJanis1993.pdf | url-status=dead}}</ref> and can sustain {{cvt|50|km/h}} for several kilometres.<ref>{{Cite book|author=Rafferty, J. P. |year=2011|title=Grazers (Britannica Guide to Predators and Prey) |publisher=[[Britannica Educational Publishing]] |page=194 |isbn=978-1-61530-336-6 |url=https://archive.org/details/grazers0000raff/page/194}}</ref> Giraffes would probably not be competent swimmers as their long legs would be highly cumbersome in the water,<ref name=swim>{{cite journal |doi=10.1016/j.jtbi.2010.04.007 |author1=Henderson, D. M. |author2=Naish, D. |year=2010 |title=Predicting the buoyancy, equilibrium and potential swimming ability of giraffes by computational analysis |journal=[[Journal of Theoretical Biology]] |volume=265 |issue=2 |pages=151–59 |pmid=20385144 |bibcode=2010JThBi.265..151H}}</ref> although they might be able to float.<ref name=Naish>{{cite journal |last=Naish |first=D. |author-link=Darren Naish |date=2011 |title=Will it Float? |periodical=[[Scientific American]] |volume=304 |issue=1 |page=22 |url=http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=will-it-float |doi=10.1038/scientificamerican0111-22 |bibcode=2011SciAm.304a..22N |access-date=30 December 2010 | archive-date=4 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131204212753/http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=will-it-float |url-status=live}}</ref> When swimming, the thorax would be weighed down by the front legs, making it difficult for the animal to move its neck and legs in harmony<ref name=swim/><ref name=Naish/> or keep its head above the water's surface.<ref name="swim"/>
[[File:Juvenile Giraffe - walking - Malawi - 2018 Aug.webm|thumb|right|A juvenile giraffe walking in Malawi]]
A giraffe rests by lying with its body on top of its folded legs.<ref name=Kingdon1988/>{{rp|329}} To lie down, the animal kneels on its front legs and then lowers the rest of its body. To get back up, it first gets on its front knees and positions its backside on top of its hindlegs. It then pulls the backside upwards, and the front legs stand straight up again. At each stage, the animal swings its head for balance.<ref name=Dagg2014/>{{rp|67}} If the giraffe wants to reach down to drink, it either spreads its front legs or bends its knees.<ref name=estes/> Studies in captivity found the giraffe sleeps intermittently around 4.6 hours per day, mostly at night. It usually sleeps lying down; however, standing sleeps have been recorded, particularly in older individuals. Intermittent short "deep sleep" phases while lying are characterised by the giraffe bending its neck backwards and resting its head on the hip or thigh, a position believed to indicate [[paradoxical sleep]].<ref name=sleep>{{cite journal |last1=Tobler |first1=I. |last2=Schwierin |first2=B. |title=Behavioural sleep in the giraffe (''Giraffa camelopardalis'') in a zoological garden |year=1996 |journal=Journal of Sleep Research |volume=5 |issue=1 |pages=21–32 |doi=10.1046/j.1365-2869.1996.00010.x |pmid=8795798|s2cid=34605791 |doi-access=free}}</ref>