Dwayne Smith Jr., age eight, of Asbury Park, N.J., for his question:

HOW TALL CAN A GIRAFFE BE?

The giraffe is the tallest of all animals. An adult male may grow to be nearly 18 feet tall, which is about five feet taller than the African elephant, which is the second tallest animal.

The giraffe gets its height from its long neck and its long legs. The legs are about six feet tail, which is about five feet taller than the African elephant, which is the second tallest animal.

But even though the animal is so very tail, it isn't as heavy as some other animals. A large male will weight about 2,000 pounds but a male African elephant may weight as much as six times more than this.

Wild giraffes live in Africa south of the Sahara in grasslands called savannas. They are also found in zoos in all parts of the world.

A giraffe can close its nostrils completely to keep out sand and dust during a storm.

The tall animal uses its long upper lip and its tongue, which is about 17 inches long, to gather food from tree branches.

Despite the length of its neck, the giraffe has only seven neck bones. This is the same number that man and most other mammals have.