What is the world's tallest living thing?

The tallest living animal is the giraffe, which usually stands 14 to 17 feet tall. Its height allows it to feed easily from trees and also obtain a long visual range over its habitat.

Much of a giraffe's height comes from its long neck, which in adults measures about 6 feet. Giraffes only have seven neck vertebrae, just as all other mammals do, but each vertebra is greatly elongated. Giraffes gain another 6 feet of height from their long legs. They can run about 35 miles an hour for short distances but cannot cross rivers or swamps easily, as they are too heavy.