Giraffe have unusually high heart rates for their size, at 150 beats per minute. When the animal lowers its head the blood rushes down fairly unopposed and a rete mirabile in the upper neck, with its large cross sectional area, prevents excess blood flow to the brain. When it raises again, the blood vessels constrict and direct blood into the brain so the animal does not faint. The jugular veins contain several (most commonly seven) valves to prevent blood flowing back into the head from the inferior vena cava and right atrium while the head is lowered. Conversely, the blood vessels
Blood on the Cat's Neck Blood on the Cat's Neck Blood on the Cat's Neck or Blood on the Neck of the Cat is an absurdist 1971 play originally written by Rainer Werner Fassbinder. It was first produced in Nuremberg under the title "Blut am Hals der Katze". It is sometimes subtitled "Marilyn Monroe vs. The Vampires". In translation, it has been revived several times, including a six-month stint at the Trap Door Theatre in 1996 and then the Mercury Theater in Chicago. The Chicago production of the play at the Trap Door Theatre under director Andrew Cooper Wasser starred Beata Pilch, Sean Marlow, Kristie