Male giraffes become more illustrious with age, but rather than the silvery locks that distinguish the likes of Sean Connery and George Clooney, the hairy blotches on these long-necked mammals darken with age.
And new research suggests the appearance change takes about 1.8 years to complete, with male giraffes being completely covered in coal-black blotches by an average age of 9.4 years.
"What is fascinating about the color change is that it goes from light to dark," study researcher Fred Bercovitch, of the Primate Research Institute & Wildlife Research Center, Kyoto University, told LiveScience. "In gorillas who turn silverback, and in men, the color gets lighter, not darker with age."
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