Giraffe pelvis, though relatively short, has an ilium that is outspread at the upper ends. A giraffe has only two gaits: walking and galloping. Walking is done by moving the legs on one side of the body at the same time, then doing the same on the other side. When galloping, the hind legs move around the front legs before the latter move forward, and the tail will curl up. The animal relies on the forward and backward motions of its head and neck to maintain balance and the counter momentum while galloping. The giraffe can reach a sprint speed of
Sophie the Giraffe Sophie the Giraffe Sophie the Giraffe is a teether – a toy for teething infants to chew on – in the form of a hevea rubber giraffe. The toy has been made in France (as "Sophie la Girafe") since 1961, first in Asnières-sur-Oise, near Paris, by Delacoste, then from 1991 by Vulli, based in Rumilly in the French Alps. Its name refers to its launch on 25 May 1961, the feast day of Saint Madeline Sophie Barat. It has achieved national icon status in France, according to "Slate", with more sold each year (816,000 in 2010) than babies are born