Their black tongues measure an average 20 inches in length.

They splay their legs wide when

going in for a drink of water. No two have the exact same coat pattern. They begin their lives
with a six-foot drop to the ground. Giraffes, the world’s tallest land mammal, are certainly odd
creatures.
But if you thought that seeing one lanky, gangly giraffe meant you’d seen them all, think again.
It turns out there’s a lot more nuance in the giraffe world than even conservationists previously
realized.
Seeing quadruple
It wasn’t long ago that scientists believed there was only one species of giraffe, with nine
subspecies scattered across the African continent. In fact, this was the prevailing wisdom until
2016, when researchers announced new data suggesting giraffes should be categorized into four
distinct species:
Northern giraffe (G. camelopardalis)
Reticulated giraffe (G. reticulata)
Masai giraffe (G. tippelskirchi)
Southern giraffe (G. giraffa)
The findings were the result of a collaborative effort between the Giraffe Conservation
Foundation (GCF) and Dr. Axel Janke of Germany’s Biodiversity and Climate Research
Centre.
Giraffes have long been the forgotten giants of scientific research. While other iconic species like
elephants, rhinos, and lions have been given significant attention, the giraffe classification
scheme had undergone fairly little scrutiny.
Researchers at GCF, therefore, determined it was high time that someone investigated just how
similar—or different—giraffe populations across the continent are, in order to ultimately aid
their long-term conservation.

Read the report

For the study, the GCF team collected tissue samples from 190 wild giraffes. These were
obtained by remote biopsy darts—darts that immediately pop off the animal after impact, taking
a small piece of tissue with them. This method sidestepped the need to sedate giraffes, and the
animals instead experienced something akin to the sensation of a mosquito bite.

Giraffes have long been the forgotten giants of scientific research.

The samples collected by the GCF over 15 years included tissues from all major giraffe
populations across Africa, representing each of the nine subspecies considered to exist at the
time.

It all comes down to genetics

The distinction between a species and subspecies lies in the animals’ genes. While the
“subspecies” label denotes consistent, but relatively minor, genetic variance between groups of
the same species, the assignment of a new species arises out of genetic disparities so significant
that individuals of different species cannot breed and produce viable offspring.
In other words, a species’ gene pool is entirely unique to that group of animals and cannot be
recreated from any other creatures on Earth.

This new giraffe delineation could therefore have significant implications for conservationists.
Giraffe numbers have been declining across the continent. In the study’s 15-year span, the
number of giraffes in Africa dropped from an estimated 140,000 individuals to fewer than
100,000.

The new classification brings greater clarity to the potential loss of important genetic diversity.
Of the newly recognized species, the northern giraffe numbers fewer than 4,750 individuals,
while reticulated giraffes number fewer than 8,700. As distinct species, they represent some of
the most endangered large mammals in the world.
In other words, a species’ gene pool is entirely unique to that group of animals and cannot be
recreated from any other creatures on Earth.

This new giraffe delineation could therefore have significant implications for conservationists.
Giraffe numbers have been declining across the continent. In the study’s 15-year span, the
number of giraffes in Africa dropped from an estimated 140,000 individuals to fewer than
100,000.

The new classification brings greater clarity to the potential loss of important genetic diversity.
Of the newly recognized species, the northern giraffe numbers fewer than 4,750 individuals,
while reticulated giraffes number fewer than 8,700. As distinct species, they represent some of
the most endangered large mammals in the world.
In contrast, southern giraffe numbers are increasing across their range. By identifying the distinct
gene pools that are closest to the brink of extinction, the GCF study enables conservationists to
better understand where, and how quickly, they should be directing their efforts
Northern giraffe (C. camelopardalis)
The northern giraffe species is divided into three subspecies: the West African giraffe, which is
only found in Niger; the Nubian giraffe, with a range that spans parts of Ethiopia, Kenya, South
Sudan, and Uganda; and the Kordofan giraffe, which inhabits pockets of Chad, Central African
Republic, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and South Sudan.
Reticulated giraffe (C. reticulata)
Today, the reticulated giraffe is mainly sequestered to Kenya, though its range does include small
parts of Ethiopia and Somalia. It is also sometimes called the netted giraffe in reference to the
bold network of white lines that separate the brown patches on its coat, forming one of the more
dramatic mottling patterns among all giraffe species.
Masai giraffe (C. tippelskirchi)
With an estimated total population of 32,500 individuals, Masai giraffes are predominantly found
across Kenya and Tanzania. An isolated group, however, has also been identified further south in
Zambia, while a small population has been reintroduced into the wild in Rwanda.
Southern giraffe (C. camelopardalis)
Like northern giraffes, southern giraffes are divided into different subspecies: Angolan and South
African giraffes. Angolan giraffes can be found in Angola, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa,
and Zimbabwe. The South African giraffe’s range is a bit broader, including parts of each country
that houses Angolan giraffe, plus Zambia.
Time is running out
The results of the GCF study are being evaluated by the International Union for Conservation of
Nature (IUCN); if they are accepted, the IUCN will officially update the giraffe’s genetic
classification system and declare threat levels for each on its Red List of Threatened Species In
the meantime, though, IUCN is taking other steps to raise awareness about the urgent plight of
Africa’s giraffes, escalating the threat level of some subspecies in its current classification at the
end of 2018.

Two of the newly discovered giraffe species represent some of the most endangered large
mammals in the world.
In 2016, IUCN listed the single giraffe species it recognizes as ‘vulnerable to extinction.’ Two
years later, though, it was calling for direct attention to several subspecies, listing two as
‘critically endangered’ and another as ‘endangered.’
The organization’s aim in announcing these new threat levels is to draw more and more attention
to what many consider the “silent extinction” of giraffes, so that more concerted conservation
action is taken to ensure their future.