The giraffe (Giraffa) is an African artiodactyl mammal, the tallest living terrestrial animal and the

largest ruminant. It is traditionally considered to be one species, Giraffa camelopardalis, with

nine subspecies. However, the existence of up to eight extant giraffe species has been described,
based upon research into the mitochondrial and nuclear DNA, as well as morphological
measurements of Giraffa. Seven other species are extinct, prehistoric species known from fossils.
The giraffe's chief distinguishing characteristics are its extremely long neck and legs, its horn-
like ossicones, and its distinctive coat patterns. It is classified under the family Giraffidae, along with
its closest extant relative, the okapi. Its scattered range extends from Chad in the north to South
Africa in the south, and from Niger in the west to Somalia in the east. Giraffes usually
inhabit savannahs and woodlands. Their food source is leaves, fruits and flowers of woody plants,
primarily acacia species, which they browse at heights most other herbivores cannot reach. They
may be preyed on by lions, leopards, spotted hyenas and African wild dogs. Giraffes live in herds of
related females and their offspring, or bachelor herds of unrelated adult males, but are gregarious
and may gather in large aggregations. Males establish social hierarchies through "necking", which
are combat bouts where the neck is used as a weapon. Dominant males gain mating access to
females, which bear the sole responsibility for raising the young.
The giraffe has intrigued various cultures, both ancient and modern, for its peculiar appearance, and
has often been featured in paintings, books, and cartoons. It is classified by the International Union
for Conservation of Nature as vulnerable to extinction, and has been extirpated from many parts of
its former range. Giraffes are still found in numerous national parks and game reserves but
estimates as of 2016 indicate that there are approximately 97,500 members of Giraffa in the wild.
More than 1,600 were kept in zoos in 2010.

The name "giraffe" has its earliest known origins in the Arabic word zarāfah (‫)زرافة‬,[2] perhaps

borrowed from the animal's Somali name geri.[3] The Arab name is translated as "fast-walker".[4] There
were several Middle English spellings, such as jarraf, ziraph, and gerfauntz.
The Italian form giraffa arose in the 1590s. The modern English form developed around 1600 from
the French girafe.[2] "Camelopard" is an archaic English name for the giraffe deriving from the Ancient
Greek for camel and leopard, referring to its camel-like shape and its leopard-like colouring.[5][6]

Taxonomy