# Are Giraffes afraid of hamsters? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 16, 2018, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-giraffes-afraid-of-hamsters/818024 "2018-07-16T17:37:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JimNightshade](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jimnightshade/32/3354_2.png) [@JimNightshade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JimNightshade)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2018, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-giraffes-afraid-of-hamsters/818024/1 "2018-07-16T17:37:06Z")
Kind of like Elephants are scared of mice. If a Giraffe has a hamster friend, does it feed it or leave it all alone and sad and hungry? Is it actually true that Elephants are afraid of mice? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2018, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-giraffes-afraid-of-hamsters/818024/2 "2018-07-16T17:38:45Z")
Mythbusters (which does not mean real science) experimented with mice and elephants and found elephants don’t appear to like the sudden movement of mice. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2018, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-giraffes-afraid-of-hamsters/818024/3 "2018-07-16T17:41:28Z")
Let’s just ask him. [Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/member.php), where you at? ---
**Author:** ![JimNightshade](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jimnightshade/32/3354_2.png) [@JimNightshade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JimNightshade)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2018, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-giraffes-afraid-of-hamsters/818024/4 "2018-07-16T17:42:26Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Mythbusters (which does not mean real science) experimented with mice and elephants and found elephants don’t appear to like the sudden movement of mice. This is good news. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2018, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-giraffes-afraid-of-hamsters/818024/5 "2018-07-16T17:44:02Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > Let’s just ask him. > > [Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/member.php), where you at? That’s the first thing I thought of when reading the op. I imagined some sort of conflict between **giraffe** and the SDMB hamsters. ---
**Author:** ![JimNightshade](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jimnightshade/32/3354_2.png) [@JimNightshade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JimNightshade)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2018, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-giraffes-afraid-of-hamsters/818024/6 "2018-07-16T17:45:37Z")
> [@BubbaDog](#): > > That’s the first thing I thought of when reading the op. I imagined some sort of conflict between **giraffe** and the SDMB hamsters. I don’t think they frolic in t he same fields, but I could of course be wrong. ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2018, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-giraffes-afraid-of-hamsters/818024/7 "2018-07-16T18:10:22Z")
I think **Giraffe** forgot to feed the hamsters again. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2018, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-giraffes-afraid-of-hamsters/818024/8 "2018-07-16T18:17:52Z")
That’s what I assumed this thread was about considering the OP and the frequency and location of his usual posts. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2018, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-giraffes-afraid-of-hamsters/818024/9 "2018-07-16T18:24:02Z")
I can only surmise that they are, considering the forensic investigation I conducted one morning upon finding the contents of my fridge in complete disarray. The investigation concluded that a mouse had entered the fridge sometime during the night. The giraffe, who was already in the fridge, was frightened and, in the course of thrashing about and trying to flee, upset most of the contents of the appliance. I know this because I found 2 sets of prints in the butter. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2018, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-giraffes-afraid-of-hamsters/818024/10 "2018-07-16T18:35:36Z")
Don’t know about hampsters but a keeper at the SD Zoo told me giraffes in captivity are very wary of uneven surfaces. He said they would even try to avoid walking on pavement that had wet spots after being sprinkled on by a light rain. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2018, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-giraffes-afraid-of-hamsters/818024/11 "2018-07-16T18:41:23Z")
> [@JimNightshade](#): > > This is good news. Thanks! Did someone say good gnus? ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2018, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-giraffes-afraid-of-hamsters/818024/12 "2018-07-16T18:47:02Z")
> [@JimNightshade](#): > > Is it actually true that Elephants are afraid of mice? Elephants do not fear mice, nor are they readily startled by the darting movements of the rodents. Similar to how humans’ general revulsion of spiders is rooted in ancient genetic memory (recall the millennia-long human/arachnid wars centered around Sirius (AB)a), the elephant’s reaction is to the _shape_ of a rodent in response to genetic memory inherited by all descendants of the Afrotherian hyrax. The hyrax, it is known, was hunted nearly to extinction by a rodential predator known as Hyraxeator africaeaustralis, until selective pressures favored its defensive development into the grey behemoth we know and love today. Giraffes don’t generally hang out with hamsters because hamsters drive Kia Souls in a passive aggressive measure to keep giraffes from bumming rides (giraffes can’t fit into a Kia Soul). ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2018, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-giraffes-afraid-of-hamsters/818024/13 "2018-07-16T19:00:48Z")
> [@Inigo\_Montoya](#): > > Giraffes don’t generally hang out with hamsters because hamsters drive Kia Souls in a passive aggressive measure to keep giraffes from bumming rides (giraffes can’t fit into a Kia Soul). What can a Giraffe fit into? Maybe a 60s Bonneville Convertible? ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2018, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-giraffes-afraid-of-hamsters/818024/14 "2018-07-16T19:06:37Z")
Giraffes are pretty wary of goats too. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/fcHDgyd8CX4/maxresdefault.jpg "Tiny Goats Visit Giraffes") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcHDgyd8CX4) ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2018, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-giraffes-afraid-of-hamsters/818024/15 "2018-07-16T19:09:21Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > What can a Giraffe fit into? Maybe a 60s Bonneville Convertible? As a passenger they’d do alright in one of those. But I’ll bet you’ve never seen a giant hamster driving one, have you. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2018, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-giraffes-afraid-of-hamsters/818024/16 "2018-07-17T05:03:31Z")
> [@Inigo\_Montoya](#): > > … > Giraffes don’t generally hang out with hamsters because hamsters drive Kia Souls in a passive aggressive measure to keep giraffes from bumming rides (giraffes can’t fit into a Kia Soul). What do you think the sunroof is for!? ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2018, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-giraffes-afraid-of-hamsters/818024/17 "2018-07-17T05:25:18Z")
Giraffes are not afraid of hammers. Heck, they rarely even see them in the wild. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2018, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-giraffes-afraid-of-hamsters/818024/18 "2018-12-05T04:22:23Z")
Bumped, for all the gentlemen fans of giraffes out there: [https://www.ctshirts.com/us/navy-silk-giraffe-print-classic-tie/TIC0859NAV.html#q=TIC0859&searchtype=text&start=1](https://www.ctshirts.com/us/navy-silk-giraffe-print-classic-tie/TIC0859NAV.html#q=TIC0859&searchtype=text&start=1) ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2018, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-giraffes-afraid-of-hamsters/818024/19 "2018-12-05T09:24:33Z")
And for the hamster fans: [https://goo.gl/images/LL6dtL](https://goo.gl/images/LL6dtL) ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2018, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-giraffes-afraid-of-hamsters/818024/20 "2018-12-05T16:50:10Z")
> [@Inigo\_Montoya](#): > > Elephants do not fear mice, nor are they readily startled by the darting movements of the rodents. \*Similar to how humans’ general revulsion of spiders is rooted in ancient genetic memory \* Clearly you have some genetic mutations in your memory. :mad: