Giraffe - Document

02/11/2023, 21:44 Giraffe - Wikipedia
Giraffe
The giraffe is a large African hoofed mammal belonging to

the genus Giraffa. It is the tallest living terrestrial animal Giraffe
and the largest ruminant on Earth. Traditionally, giraffes Temporal range: Miocene to Recent
were thought to be one species, Giraffa camelopardalis,
with nine subspecies. Most recently, researchers proposed
dividing them into up to eight extant species due to new
research into their mitochondrial and nuclear DNA, as well
as morphological measurements. Seven other extinct species
of Giraffa are known from the fossil record.
The giraffe's chief distinguishing characteristics are its

extremely long neck and legs, its horn-like ossicones, and its
spotted 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 Masai giraffe (G. c. tippelskirchi) in
heights most other herbivores cannot reach.
Mikumi National Park, Tanzania
Lions, leopards, spotted hyenas, and African wild dogs may Conservation status
prey upon giraffes. 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", combat bouts where the neck is used as a weapon. Vulnerable (IUCN 3.1)[1] (As the
Dominant males gain mating access to females, which bear species complex)
sole responsibility for rearing the young.
Scientific classification
The giraffe has intrigued various ancient and modern Domain: Eukaryota
cultures for its peculiar appearance, and has often been
featured in paintings, books, and cartoons. It is classified by Kingdom: Animalia
the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
Phylum: Chordata
as vulnerable to extinction and has been extirpated from
many parts of its former range. Giraffes are still found in Class: Mammalia
numerous national parks and game reserves, but estimates Order: Artiodactyla
as of 2016 indicate there are approximately 97,500 members
of Giraffa in the wild. More than 1,600 were kept in zoos in Family: Giraffidae
2010.
Genus: Giraffa
Linnaeus, 1758
Etymology
Species: G. camelopardalis
The name "giraffe" has its earliest known origins in the Binomial name
Arabic word zarāfah (‫)زرافة‬,[2] ultimately from Persian ‫ُزرَناَپا‬‎
Giraffa camelopardalis
(zurnāpā), a compound of ‫ُزرَنا‬‎ (zurnā, “flute, zurna”) and ‫َپا‬‎
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giraffe 1/36
(pā, “leg”).[3][4]
In early Modern English the spellings jarraf Linnaeus, 1758
and ziraph were used, probably directly from the Arabic,[5]
Species
and in Middle English jarraf and ziraph, gerfauntz. The
Italian form giraffa arose in the 1590s. The modern English
form developed around 1600 from the French girafe.[2] See taxonomy
"Camelopard" /kəˈmɛləˌpɑːrd/ is an archaic English name

for the giraffe; it derives from the Ancient Greek
καμηλοπάρδαλις (kamēlopárdalis), from κάμηλος
(kámēlos), "camel", and πάρδαλις (párdalis), "leopard",
referring to its camel-like shape and leopard-like
colouration.[6][7]
Taxonomy
Evolution
Distribution of the giraffe
The giraffe is one of only two living genera of the family
Giraffidae in the order Artiodactyla, the other being the
okapi.[8] They are ruminants of the clade Pecora, along with Antilocapridae (pronghorns),
Cervidae (deer), Bovidae (cattle, antelope, goats and sheep) and Moschidae (musk deer). A 2019
genome study (cladogram below) finds that Giraffidae are a sister taxon to Antilocapridae, with an
estimated split of over 20 million years ago.[9]
⁠Tragulina Tragulidae
⁠
⁠Antilocapridae
⁠
⁠
⁠
⁠Giraffidae
⁠
⁠Ruminantia
⁠
⁠Pecora
⁠
⁠Cervidae
⁠
⁠ ⁠
⁠ ⁠Bovidae
⁠
⁠
⁠Moschidae
⁠
The family Giraffidae was once much more extensive, with over 10 fossil genera described.[8] The
elongation of the neck appears to have started early in the giraffe lineage. Comparisons between
giraffes and their ancient relatives suggest vertebrae close to the skull lengthened earlier, followed
by lengthening of vertebrae further down.[10] One early giraffid ancestor was Canthumeryx, which
has been dated variously to have lived 25–20 mya, 17–15 mya or 18–14.3 mya and whose deposits
have been found in Libya. This animal resembled an antelope and had a medium-sized, lightly
built body. Giraffokeryx appeared 15–12 mya on the Indian subcontinent and resembled an okapi
or a small giraffe, and had a longer neck and similar ossicones.[8] Giraffokeryx may have shared a
clade with more massively built giraffids like Sivatherium and Bramatherium.[10]
Giraffids like Palaeotragus, Shansitherium and Samotherium

appeared 14 mya and lived throughout Africa and Eurasia. These
animals had broader skulls with reduced frontal cavities.[8][10]
Paleotragus resembled the okapi and may have been its ancestor.[8]
Others find that the okapi lineage diverged earlier, before
Giraffokeryx.[10] Samotherium was a particularly important
transitional fossil in the giraffe lineage, as the length and structure of
its cervical vertebrae were between those of a modern giraffe and an
okapi, and its neck posture was likely similar to the former's.[11]
Bohlinia, which first appeared in southeastern Europe and lived 9–7
mya, was likely a direct ancestor of the giraffe. Bohlinia closely
resembled modern giraffes, having a long neck and legs and similar
ossicones and dentition.[8]
The extinct giraffid
Bohlinia colonised China and northern India and produced the Samotherium (middle) in
comparison with the okapi
Giraffa, which, around 7 mya, reached Africa. Climate changes led to
(below) and giraffe. The
the extinction of the Asian giraffes, while the African giraffes survived
anatomy of Samotherium
and radiated into new species. Living giraffes appear to have arisen
appears to have shown a
around 1 mya in eastern Africa during the Pleistocene.[8] Some
transition to a giraffe-like
biologists suggest the modern giraffes descended from G. jumae;[12]
neck.[11]
others find G. gracilis a more likely candidate. G. jumae was larger
and more robust, while G. gracilis was smaller and more slender.[8]
The changes from extensive forests to more open habitats, which began 8 mya, are believed to be
the main driver for the evolution of giraffes.[8] During this time, tropical plants disappeared and
were replaced by arid C4 plants, and a dry savannah emerged across eastern and northern Africa
and western India.[13][14] Some researchers have hypothesised that this new habitat, coupled with
a different diet, including acacia species, may have exposed giraffe ancestors to toxins that caused
higher mutation rates and a higher rate of evolution.[15] The coat patterns of modern giraffes may
also have coincided with these habitat changes. Asian giraffes are hypothesised to have had more
okapi-like colourations.[8]
The giraffe genome is around 2.9 billion base pairs in length, compared to the 3.3 billion base pairs
of the okapi. Of the proteins in giraffe and okapi genes, 19.4% are identical. The divergence of
giraffe and okapi lineages dates to around 11.5 mya. A small group of regulatory genes in the giraffe
appear to be responsible for the animal's height and associated circulatory adaptations.[16][17]
Species and subspecies
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) currently recognises only one species
of giraffe with nine subspecies.[1]
Carl Linnaeus originally classified living giraffes as one species

in 1758. He gave it the binomial name Cervus camelopardalis.
Mathurin Jacques Brisson coined the generic name Giraffa in
1762.[19] During the 1900s, various taxonomies with two or
three species were proposed.[20] A 2007 study on the genetics
of giraffes using mitochondrial DNA suggested at least six
lineages could be recognised as species.[18] A 2011 study using
detailed analyses of the morphology of giraffes, and application
of the phylogenetic species concept, described eight species of Map showing "Approximate
living giraffes.[21] A 2016 study also concluded that living geographic ranges, fur patterns,
giraffes consist of multiple species. The researchers suggested and phylogenetic relationships
the existence of four species, which have not exchanged genetic between some giraffe subspecies
based on mitochondrial DNA
information between each other for 1 to 2 million years.[22]
sequences. Colored dots on the
A 2020 study showed that depending on the method chosen, map represent sampling localities.
different taxonomic hypotheses recognizing from two to six The phylogenetic tree is a
maximum-likelihood phylogram
species can be considered for the genus Giraffa.[23] That study
based on samples from 266
also found that multi-species coalescent methods can lead to
giraffes. Asterisks along branches
taxonomic over-splitting, as those methods delimit geographic
correspond to node values of more
structures rather than species. The three-species hypothesis,
than 90% bootstrap support. Stars
which recognises G. camelopardalis, G. giraffa, and G. at branch tips identify paraphyletic
tippelskirchi, is highly supported by phylogenetic analyses and haplotypes found in Maasai and
also corroborated by most population genetic and multi-species
reticulated giraffes".[18]
coalescent analyses.[23] A 2021 whole genome sequencing study
suggests the existence of four distinct species and seven
subspecies.[24]
The cladogram below shows the phylogenetic relationship between the four proposed species and
seven subspecies based on the genome analysis.[24] Note the eight lineages correspond to eight of
the traditional subspecies in the one species hypothesis. The Rothschild giraffe is subsumed into G.
camelopardalis camelopardalis.
⁠G. camelopardalis antiquorum (Kordofan giraffe)

⁠
⁠
⁠
⁠Giraffa camelopardalis ⁠G. c. camelopardalis (Nubian giraffe)
⁠(northern giraffe) ⁠
⁠
⁠ ⁠⁠
G. c. peralta (West African giraffe)
⁠⁠
⁠G. reticulata ⁠ ⁠(no subspecies)

⁠(reticulated giraffe) ⁠⁠
⁠Giraffa
⁠G. tippelskirchi tippelskirchi (Masai giraffe sensu stricto)
⁠
⁠ . tippelskirchi
G
⁠(Masai giraffe sensu lato) ⁠
G. t. thornicrofti (Luangwa or Thornicroft's giraffe)
⁠
⁠
⁠ ⁠G. giraffa angolensis (Angolan giraffe)
⁠
⁠ . giraffa
G
⁠(southern giraffe) ⁠
G. g. giraffa (South African giraffe)
⁠
⁠
The following table compares the different hypotheses for giraffe species. The description column
shows the traditional nine subspecies in the one species hypothesis.[1][25]
Species and subspecies of giraffe

Three
Eight species Four species
Description Image species
taxonomy[21] taxonomy[22][24]
taxonomy[23]
The Kordofan giraffe Northern giraffe
(G. c. antiquorum) has (G. camelopardalis)
a distribution which Three or four subspecies:
includes southern
Chad, the Central G. c. antiquorum
African Republic, G. c. camelopardalis
northern Cameroon, G. c. peralta
and the northeastern G. c. reticulata (only in three-
DR Congo.[1] species hypothesis)
Populations in
Cameroon were
formerly included in G.
c. peralta, but this was
incorrect.[26]
Compared to the
Nubian giraffe, this
subspecies has
smaller and more
irregular spotting
patterns. Its spots
may be found below Kordofan giraffe
the hocks and the (G. antiquorum)[29]
insides of the legs. A
median lump is
present in
males.[27]: 51–52 Some
2,000 are believed to
remain in the wild.[1]
Considerable
confusion has existed
over the status of this
subspecies and G. c.
peralta in zoos. In
2007, all alleged G. c.
peralta in European
zoos were shown to
be, in fact, G. c.
antiquorum.[26] With
this correction, about
65 are living in
zoos.[28]
The Nubian giraffe Nubian giraffe
(G. c. (G. camelopardalis)[25]
camelopardalis), is
found in eastern Also known as
South Sudan and
southwestern Baringo giraffe or
Ethiopia, in addition to Ugandan giraffe
Kenya and Uganda.[1]
It has sharply defined Two subspecies:
chestnut-coloured
spots surrounded by G. c. camelopardalis
mostly white lines, G. c. rothschildi
while undersides lack (Rothschild's giraffe)
spotting.[30] The
median lump is
particularly developed
in the male.[27]: 51
Around 2,150 are
thought to remain in
the wild, with another
1,500 individuals
belonging to the
Rothschild's
ecotype.[1] With the
addition of
Rothschild's giraffe to
the Nubian
subspecies, the
Nubian giraffe is very
common in captivity,
although the original
phenotype is rare — a
group is kept at Al Ain
Zoo in the United Arab
Emirates.[31] In 2003,
this group numbered
14.[32]
Rothschild's giraffe
(G. c. rothschildi) may
be an ecotype of G.
camelopardalis. Its
range includes parts
of Uganda and
Kenya.[1] Its presence
in South Sudan is
uncertain.[33] This
giraffe has large dark
patches that usually
have complete
margins, but may also
have sharp edges.
The dark spots may
also have paler
radiating lines or
streaks within them.
Spotting rarely
reaches below the
hocks and almost
never to the hooves.
This ecotype may also
develop five
"horns".[27]: 53 Around
1,500 individuals
believed to remain in
the wild,[1] and more
than 450 are living in
zoos.[28] According to
genetic analysis circa
September 2016, it is
conspecific with the
Nubian giraffe (G. c.
camelopardalis).[22]
The West African

giraffe (G. c. peralta)
is endemic to
southwestern Niger.[1]
This animal has a
lighter pelage (fur)
than other
subspecies,[34]: 322
with red lobe-shaped
blotches that reach
below the hocks. The
ossicones are more
erect than in other
subspecies and males
have well-developed
median
lumps.[27]: 52–53 It is
the most endangered
subspecies within
Giraffa, with 400
individuals remaining
in the wild.[1] Giraffes
in Cameroon were
formerly believed to West African giraffe
belong to this species, (G. peralta),[35]
but are actually G. c.
antiquorum. This error
resulted in some
Also known as Niger
confusion over its giraffe or Nigerian
status in zoos, but in giraffe
2007, it was
established that all "G.
c. peralta" kept in
European zoos are
actually G. c.
antiquorum. The same
2007 study found that
the West African
giraffe was more
closely related to
Rothschild's giraffe
than the Kordofan,
and its ancestor may
have migrated from
eastern to northern
Africa and then west
as the Sahara Desert
spread. At its largest,
Lake Chad may have
acted as a boundary
between the West
African and Kordofan
giraffes during the
Holocene (before
5000 BC).[26]
The reticulated
giraffe (G. c.
reticulata) is native to
northeastern Kenya,
southern Ethiopia, and
Somalia.[1] Its
distinctive coat pattern
consists of sharp-
edged, reddish-brown
polygonal patches
divided by a network Reticulated giraffe
of thin white lines. (G. reticulata),[36]
Spots may or may not
extend below the Also known as Somali giraffe
hocks, and a median
lump is present in
males.[27]: 53 An
estimated 8,660
individuals remain in
the wild,[1] and based
on International
Species Information
System records, more
than 450 are living in
zoos.[28]
The Angolan giraffe Southern giraffe (G. giraffa)
(G. c. angolensis)[37] Two subspecies:
is found in northern
G. g. angolensis
Namibia,
southwestern Zambia, G. g. giraffa
central Botswana,
western Zimbabwe,
southern Zimbabwe
and, since mid-2023
again in
Angola.[38][1][39][40] A
2009 genetic study on
this subspecies
suggested the
northern Namib
Desert and Etosha
National Park Angolan giraffe
populations form a (G. angolensis)
separate
subspecies.[41] This Also known as
subspecies has large Namibian giraffe
brown blotches with
notched edges or
angular extensions.
The spotting pattern
extends throughout
the legs but not the
upper part of the face.
The neck and rump
patches tend to be
fairly small. The
subspecies also has a
white ear patch.[27]: 51
About 13,000 animals
are estimated to
remain in the wild,[1]
and about 20 are
living in zoos.[28]
The South African

giraffe (G. c. giraffa)
is found in northern
South Africa, southern
Botswana, northern
Botswana and
southwestern
Mozambique.[1][39][40]
It has dark, somewhat
rounded patches "with South African giraffe
some fine projections" (G. giraffa)[42]
on a tawny
background colour.
The spots extend Also known as Cape
down the legs, giraffe
growing smaller as
they do. The median
lump of males is
poorly
developed.[27]: 52 A
maximum of 31,500
are estimated to
and around 45 are
living in zoos.[28]
The Masai giraffe (G.
c. tippelskirchi) can be
found in central and
southern Kenya and in
Tanzania.[1] Its coat
patterns are highly
diverse, with spots Masai giraffe
ranging from mostly (G. tippelskirchi)[37]
rounded and smooth
edged to oval shaped
and incised or loped Also known as
edged.[43] A median Kilimanjaro giraffe
lump is usually
present in
males.[27]: 54 [44] A total
of 32,550 are thought
to remain in the
wild,[1] and about 100
Masai giraffe (G. tippelskirchi)
are living in zoos.[28] Two subspecies:
Thornicroft's giraffe G. t. tippelskirchi
(G. c. thornicrofti) is
G. t. thornicrofti
restricted to the
Luangwa Valley in
eastern Zambia.[1]
The patches are
notched and Thornicroft's giraffe
somewhat star- ("G. thornicrofti")
shaped, and may or
may not extend Also known as
across the legs. The
median lump of males Luangwa giraffe or
is Rhodesian giraffe
underdeveloped.[27]: 54
No more than 550
with none in zoos.[28]
It was named after
Harry Scott
Thornicroft.[37]
The first extinct species to be described was Giraffa sivalensis Falconer and Cautley 1843, a
reevaluation of a vertebra that was initially described as a fossil of the living giraffe.[45] While
taxonomic opinion may be lacking on some names, the extinct species that have been published
include:[46]
Giraffa gracilis
Giraffa jumae
Giraffa pomeli
Giraffa priscilla
Giraffa punjabiensis
Giraffa pygmaea
Giraffa sivalensis
Giraffa stillei
Characteristics
Fully grown giraffes stand 4.3–5.7 m (14–19 ft) tall, with males taller
than females.[47] The average weight is 1,192 kg (2,628 lb) for an adult
male and 828 kg (1,825 lb) for an adult female.[48] Despite its long
neck and legs, its body is relatively short.[49]: 66 The skin is mostly
gray,[48] or tan,[50] and can reach a thickness of 20 mm
(0.79 in).[51]: 87 The 80–100 cm (31–39 in) long[37] tail ends in a long,
dark tuft of hair and is used as a defense against insects.[51]: 94
The coat has dark blotches or patches, which can be orange, chestnut,
brown, or nearly black, surrounded by light hair, usually white or
cream coloured.[52] Male giraffes become darker as they grow old.[44]
The coat pattern has been claimed to serve as camouflage in the light
and shade patterns of savannah woodlands.[37] When standing among
trees and bushes, they are hard to see at even a few metres distance. Giraffe skeleton on display
However, adult giraffes move about to gain the best view of an at the Museum of
approaching predator, relying on their size and ability to defend Osteology, Oklahoma City,
themselves rather than on camouflage, which may be more important Oklahoma
for calves. [8] Each giraffe has a unique coat pattern. [53][54] Calves
inherit some coat pattern traits from their mothers, and variation in
some spot traits is correlated with calf survival.[43] The skin under the blotches may regulate the
animal's body temperature, being sites for complex blood vessel systems and large sweat
glands.[55]
The fur may give the animal chemical defense, as its parasite repellents give it a characteristic
scent. At least 11 main aromatic chemicals are in the fur, although indole and 3-methylindole are
responsible for most of the smell. Because males have a stronger odour than females, it may also
have a sexual function.[56]
Head
Both sexes have prominent horn-like structures called ossicones, which can reach 13.5 cm (5.3 in).
They are formed from ossified cartilage, covered in skin and fused to the skull at the parietal
bones.[44][51]: 95–97 Being vascularised, the ossicones may have a role in thermoregulation,[55] and
are used in combat between males.[57] Appearance is a reliable guide to the sex or age of a giraffe:
the ossicones of females and young are thin and display tufts of hair on top, whereas those of adult
males tend to be bald and knobbed on top.[44] A lump, which is

more prominent in males, emerges in the middle of the
skull.[19] Males develop calcium deposits that form bumps on
their skulls as they age.[52] Multiple sinuses lighten a giraffe's
skull.[51]: 103 However, as males age, their skulls become heavier
and more club-like, helping them become more dominant in
combat.[44] The occipital condyles at the bottom of the skull
allow the animal to tip its head over 90 degrees and grab food
Closeup of the head of a northern on the branches directly above them with the
giraffe tongue.[51]: 103, 110 [19]
With eyes located on the sides of the head, the giraffe has a
broad visual field from its great height.[51]: 85, 102 Compared to other ungulates, giraffe vision is
more binocular and the eyes are larger with a greater retinal surface area.[58] Giraffes may see in
colour[51]: 85 and their senses of hearing and smell are sharp.[52] The ears are movable[51]: 95 and
the nostrils are slit-shaped, possibly to withstand blowing sand.[59] The giraffe's tongue is about
45 cm (18 in) long. It is black, perhaps to protect against sunburn, and can grasp foliage and
delicately pick off leaves.[51]: 109–110 The upper lip is flexible and hairy to protect against sharp
prickles.[19] The upper jaw has a hard palate instead of front teeth. The molars and premolars are
wide with low crowns on the surface.[51]: 106
Neck
The giraffe has an extremely elongated neck, which can be up to 2.4 m (7 ft 10 in) in length.[60]
Along the neck is a mane made of short, erect hairs.[19] The neck typically rests at an angle of 50–
60 degrees, though juveniles are closer to 70 degrees.[51]: 72–73 The long neck results from a
disproportionate lengthening of the cervical vertebrae, not from the addition of more vertebrae.
Each cervical vertebra is over 28 cm (11 in) long.[49]: 71 They comprise 52–54 per cent of the length
of the giraffe's vertebral column, compared with the 27–33 percent typical of similar large
ungulates, including the giraffe's closest living relative, the okapi.[15] This elongation largely takes
place after birth, perhaps because giraffe mothers would have a difficult time giving birth to young
with the same neck proportions as adults.[61] The giraffe's head and neck are held up by large
muscles and a nuchal ligament, which are anchored by long thoracic vertebrae spines, giving them
a hump.[19][62][37]
The giraffe's neck vertebrae have ball and socket joints.[49]: 71 The point of articulation between the
cervical and thoracic vertebrae of giraffes is shifted to lie between the first and second thoracic
vertebrae (T1 and T2), unlike in most other ruminants, where the articulation is between the
seventh cervical vertebra (C7) and T1.[15][61] This allows C7 to contribute directly to increased neck
length and has given rise to the suggestion that T1 is actually C8, and that giraffes have added an
extra cervical vertebra.[62] However, this proposition is not generally accepted, as T1 has other
morphological features, such as an articulating rib, deemed diagnostic of thoracic vertebrae, and
because exceptions to the mammalian limit of seven cervical vertebrae are generally characterised
by increased neurological anomalies and maladies.[15]
There are several hypotheses regarding the evolutionary origin and maintenance of elongation in
giraffe necks.[57] Charles Darwin originally suggested the "competing browsers hypothesis", which
has been challenged only recently. It suggests that competitive pressure from smaller browsers,
like kudu, steenbok and impala, encouraged the elongation of the neck, as it enabled giraffes to
reach food that competitors could not. This advantage is real, as giraffes can and do feed up to
4.5 m (15 ft) high, while even quite large competitors, such as kudu, can feed up to only about 2 m
(6 ft 7 in) high.[63] There is also research suggesting that browsing competition is intense at lower
levels, and giraffes feed more efficiently (gaining more leaf biomass
with each mouthful) high in the canopy.[64][65] However, scientists
disagree about just how much time giraffes spend feeding at levels
beyond the reach of other browsers,[12][57][63][66] and a 2010 study
found that adult giraffes with longer necks actually suffered higher
mortality rates under drought conditions than their shorter-necked
counterparts. This study suggests that maintaining a longer neck
requires more nutrients, which puts longer-necked giraffes at risk
during a food shortage.[67]
Another theory, the sexual selection hypothesis, proposes the long

necks evolved as a secondary sexual characteristic, giving males an
advantage in "necking" contests (see below) to establish dominance
and obtain access to sexually receptive females.[12] In support of this
theory, necks are longer and heavier for males than females of the
Adult male reticulated same age,[12][57] and males do not employ other forms of combat.[12]
giraffe feeding high on an However, one objection is it fails to explain why female giraffes also
acacia, in Kenya have long necks.[68] It has also been proposed that the neck serves to
give the animal greater vigilance.[69][70]
Legs, locomotion and posture
A giraffe's front and back legs are about the same length. The radius
and ulna of the front legs are articulated by the carpus, which, while
structurally equivalent to the human wrist, functions as a knee.[71] It
appears that a suspensory ligament allows the lanky legs to support
the animal's great weight.[72] The hooves of large male giraffes reach
31 cm × 23 cm (12.2 in × 9.1 in) in diameter.[51]: 98 The fetlock of the
leg is low to the ground, allowing the hoof to better support the
animal's weight. Giraffes lack dewclaws and interdigital glands. While
the pelvis is relatively short, the ilium has stretched out crests.[19]
A giraffe has only two gaits: walking and galloping. Walking is done by
moving the legs on one side of the body, then doing the same on the
other side.[44] When galloping, the hind legs move around the front
legs before the latter move forward,[52] and the tail will curl up.[44] The
movements of the head and neck provide balance and control
momentum while galloping.[34]: 327–29 The giraffe can reach a sprint
speed of up to 60 km/h (37 mph),[73] and can sustain 50 km/h Right hind leg of a Masai
(31 mph) for several kilometres.[74] Giraffes would probably not be giraffe at San Diego Zoo
competent swimmers as their long legs would be highly cumbersome
in the water,[75] although they might be able to float.[76] When
swimming, the thorax would be weighed down by the front legs, making it difficult for the animal
to move its neck and legs in harmony[75][76] or keep its head above the water's surface.[75]
A giraffe rests by lying with its body on top of its folded legs.[34]: 329 To lie down, the animal kneels
on its front legs and then lowers the rest of its body. To get back up, it first gets on its front knees
and positions its backside on top of its hindlegs. It then pulls up the backside upwards and the
front legs stand straight up again. At each stage, the animal swings its head for balance.[51]: 67 If the
giraffe wants to reach down to drink, it either spreads its front legs or bends its knees.[44] Studies
in captivity found the giraffe sleeps intermittently around 4.6 hours per day, mostly at night. It
usually sleeps lying down; however, standing sleeps have been recorded, particularly in older
individuals. Intermittent short "deep sleep" phases while lying are characterised by the giraffe
bending its neck backwards and resting its head on the hip or thigh, a position believed to indicate
paradoxical sleep.[77]
Internal systems
In mammals, the left recurrent laryngeal nerve is longer than

the right; in the giraffe, it is over 30 cm (12 in) longer. These
nerves are longer in the giraffe than in any other living
animal;[78] the left nerve is over 2 m (6 ft 7 in) long.[79] Each
nerve cell in this path begins in the brainstem and passes down
the neck along the vagus nerve, then branches off into the
recurrent laryngeal nerve which passes back up the neck to the
larynx. Thus, these nerve cells have a length of nearly 5 m
Scheme of path of the recurrent
(16 ft) in the largest giraffes.[78] Despite its long neck and large laryngeal nerve in giraffe
skull, the brain of the giraffe is typical for an ungulate.[80]
Evaporative heat loss in the nasal passages keep the giraffe's
brain cool.[55] The shape of the skeleton gives the giraffe a small lung volume relative to its mass.
Its long neck gives it a large amount of dead space, in spite of its narrow windpipe. The giraffe also
has a high tidal volume so the balance of dead space and tidal volume is much the same as other
mammals. The animal can still provide enough oxygen for its tissues, and it can increase its
respiratory rate and oxygen diffusion when running.[81]
The giraffe's circulatory system has several adaptations to

compensate for its great height.[16] Its 11 kg (25 lb) and 60 cm
(2 ft) heart must generate approximately double the blood
pressure required for a human to maintain blood flow to the
brain. As such, the wall of the heart can be as thick as 7.5 cm
(3.0 in).[52] Giraffes have relatively high heart rates for their
size, at 150 beats per minute.[49]: 76 When the animal lowers its
head, the blood rushes down fairly unopposed and a rete
Reticulated giraffe bending down to mirabile in the upper neck, with its large cross-sectional area,
drink in Kenya. The circulatory prevents excess blood flow to the brain. When it raises again,
system is adapted to deal with the blood vessels constrict and push blood into the brain so the
blood flow rushing down its neck. animal does not faint.[82] The jugular veins contain several
(most commonly seven) valves to prevent blood flowing back
into the head from the inferior vena cava and right atrium while
the head is lowered. [83] Conversely, the blood vessels in the lower legs are under great pressure
because of the weight of fluid pressing down on them. To solve this problem, the skin of the lower
legs is thick and tight, preventing too much blood from pouring into them.[37]
Giraffes have oesophageal muscles that are strong enough to allow regurgitation of food from the
stomach up the neck and into the mouth for rumination.[49]: 78 They have four chambered
stomachs, which are adapted to their specialized diet.[19] The intestines of an adult giraffe measure
more than 70 m (230 ft) in length and have a relatively small ratio of small to large intestine.[84]
The giraffe has a small, compact liver.[49]: 76 In fetuses there may be a small gallbladder that
vanishes before birth.[19][85][86]
Behaviour and ecology
Habitat and feeding
Giraffes usually inhabit savannahs and open woodlands. They

prefer areas dominated by Acacieae, Commiphora, Combretum
and Terminalia tree over Brachystegia which are more densely
spaced.[34]: 322 The Angolan giraffe can be found in desert
environments.[87] Giraffes browse on the twigs of trees,
preferring those of the subfamily Acacieae and the genera
Commiphora and Terminalia,[88] which are important sources
of calcium and protein to sustain the giraffe's growth rate.[8] A Masai giraffe extending its tongue
They also feed on shrubs, grass and fruit.[34]: 324 A giraffe eats to feed, in Tanzania. Its tongue, lips
around 34 kg (75 lb) of plant matter daily.[44] When stressed, and palate are tough enough to
giraffes may chew on large branches, stripping them of deal with sharp thorns in trees.
bark.[34]: 325 Giraffes are also recorded to chew old
bones.[51]: 102
During the wet season, food is abundant and giraffes are more spread out, while during the dry
season, they gather around the remaining evergreen trees and bushes.[88] Mothers tend to feed in
open areas, presumably to make it easier to detect predators, although this may reduce their
feeding efficiency.[66] As a ruminant, the giraffe first chews its food, then swallows it for processing
and then visibly passes the half-digested cud up the neck and back into the mouth to chew
again.[49]: 78–79 The giraffe requires less food than many other herbivores because the foliage it
eats has more concentrated nutrients and it has a more efficient digestive system.[88] The animal's
faeces come in the form of small pellets.[19] When it has access to water, a giraffe will go no more
than three days without drinking.[44]
Giraffes have a great effect on the trees that they feed on, delaying the growth of young trees for
some years and giving "waistlines" to too tall trees. Feeding is at its highest during the first and last
hours of daytime. Between these hours, giraffes mostly stand and ruminate. Rumination is the
dominant activity during the night, when it is mostly done lying down.[44]
Social life
Giraffes are usually found in groups that vary in size and composition according to ecological,
anthropogenic, temporal, and social factors.[89] Traditionally, the composition of these groups had
been described as open and ever-changing.[90] For research purposes, a "group" has been defined
as "a collection of individuals that are less than a kilometre apart and moving in the same general
direction".[91] More recent studies have found that giraffes have long lasting social groups or
cliques based on kinship, sex or other factors, and these groups regularly associate with other
groups in larger communities or sub-communities within a fission–fusion society.[92][93][94][95]
Proximity to humans can disrupt social arrangements.[92] Masai giraffes in Tanzania sort
themselves into different subpopulations of 60–90 adult females with overlapping ranges, each of
which differ in reproductive rates and calf mortality.[96]

Dispersal is male biased, and can include spatial and/or social
dispersal.[97] Adult female subpopulations are connected by
males into supercommunities of around 300 animals.[98]
Gathering of female South African

giraffes in Tswalu Kalahari Reserve,
South Africa. These animals
commonly gather in herds.
Giraffe hum
0:13
Giraffe hum, ogg/Vorbis format.
Giraffe snort
0:02
Giraffe snort ogg/Vorbis format.
Giraffe grunt
0:03
Giraffe grunt ogg/Vorbis format.
Giraffe bursts
0:03
Giraffe bursts ogg/Vorbis format
Problems playing these files? See media help.
The number of giraffes in a group can range from one up to 66 individuals.[89][95] Giraffe groups
tend to be sex-segregated[95] although mixed-sex groups made of adult females and young males
also occur.[91] Female groups may be matrilineally related.[95] Generally females are more selective
than males in who they associate with regarding individuals of the same sex.[94] Particularly stable
giraffe groups are those made of mothers and their young,[91] which can last weeks or months.[99]
Young males also form groups and will engage in playfights. However, as they get older, males
become more solitary but may also associate in pairs or with female groups.[95][99] Giraffes are not
territorial,[19] but they have home ranges that vary according to rainfall and proximity to human
settlements.[100] Male giraffes occasionally roam far from areas that they normally
frequent.[34]: 329
Early biologists suggested giraffes were mute and unable to create enough air flow to vibrate their
vocal folds.[101] To the contrary; they have been recorded to communicate using snorts, sneezes,
coughs, snores, hisses, bursts, moans, grunts, growls and flute-like sounds.[44][101] During
courtship, males emit loud coughs. Females call their young by bellowing. Calves will emit bleats,
mooing and mewing sounds.[44] Snorting and hissing is associated with vigilance.[102] During
nighttime, giraffes appear to hum to each other.[103] There is some evidence that giraffes use
Helmholtz resonance to create infrasound.[104] They also communicate with body language.
Dominant males display to other males with an erect posture; holding the chin and head up while
walking stiffly and displaying their side. The less dominant show submissiveness by dropping the
head and ears, lowering the chin and fleeing.[44]
Reproduction and parental care
Reproduction in giraffes is broadly polygamous: a few older males

mate with the fertile females.[91] Females can reproduce throughout
the year and experience oestrus cycling approximately every 15
days.[105][106] Female giraffes in oestrous are dispersed over space and
time, so reproductive adult males adopt a strategy of roaming among
female groups to seek mating opportunities, with periodic hormone-
induced rutting behaviour approximately every two weeks.[107] Males
prefer young adult females over juveniles and older adults.[91]
Male giraffes assess female fertility by tasting the female's urine to

detect oestrus, in a multi-step process known as the flehmen
response.[91][99] Once an oestrous female is detected, the male will
Angolan giraffes mating in
attempt to court her. When courting, dominant males will keep Namibia
subordinate ones at bay.[99] A courting male may lick a female's tail,
lay his head and neck on her body or nudge her with his ossicones.
During copulation, the male stands on his hind legs with his head held up and his front legs resting
on the female's sides.[44]
Giraffe gestation lasts 400–460 days, after which a single calf is normally born, although twins
occur on rare occasions.[105] The mother gives birth standing up. The calf emerges head and front
legs first, having broken through the fetal membranes, and falls to the ground, severing the
umbilical cord.[19] A newborn giraffe is 1.7–2 m (5.6–6.6 ft) tall.[47] Within a few hours of birth,
the calf can run around and is almost indistinguishable from a one-week-old. However, for the first
one to three weeks, it spends most of its time hiding,[108] its coat pattern providing camouflage.
The ossicones, which have lain flat in the womb, raise up in a few days.[44]
Mothers with calves will gather in nursery herds, moving or

browsing together. Mothers in such a group may sometimes
leave their calves with one female while they forage and drink
elsewhere. This is known as a "calving pool".[108] Calves are at
risk of predation, and a mother giraffe will stand over them and
kick at an approaching predator.[44] Females watching calving
pools will only alert their own young if they detect a
disturbance, although the others will take notice and
Female Angolan giraffe with calf follow.[108] Allo-sucking, where a calf will suckle a female other
than its mother, has been recorded in both wild and captive
giraffes.[109][110] Calves first ruminate at four to six months and
stop nursing at six to eight months. Young may not reach independence until they are 14 months
old.[51]: 49 Females become sexually mature when they are four years old, while males become
mature at four or five years. Spermatogenesis in male giraffes begins at three to four years of
age.[111] Males must wait until they are at least seven years old to gain the opportunity to mate.[44]
Necking
Male giraffes use their necks as weapons in combat, a

behaviour known as "necking". Necking is used to establish
dominance and males that win necking bouts have greater
reproductive success.[12] This behaviour occurs at low or high
intensity. In low-intensity necking, the combatants rub and
lean on each other. The male that can keep itself more upright
wins the bout. In high-intensity necking, the combatants will
spread their front legs and swing their necks at each other,
attempting to land blows with their ossicones. The contestants Here, male South African giraffes
will try to dodge each other's blows and then prepare to engage in low intensity necking to
counter. The power of a blow depends on the weight of the skull establish dominance, in Ithala
and the arc of the swing.[44] A necking duel can last more than Game Reserve, Kwa-Zulu-Natal,
half an hour, depending on how well matched the combatants South Africa.
are.[34]: 331 Although most fights do not lead to serious injury,
there have been records of broken jaws, broken necks, and even
deaths.[12]
After a duel, it is common for two male giraffes to caress and court each other. Such interactions
between males have been found to be more frequent than heterosexual coupling.[112] In one study,
up to 94 percent of observed mounting incidents took place between males. The proportion of
same-sex activities varied from 30 to 75 percent. Only one percent of same-sex mounting incidents
occurred between females.[113]
Mortality and health
Giraffes have high adult survival probability,[114] and an

unusually long lifespan compared to other ruminants, up to 38
years.[115] Adult female survival is significantly correlated with
the number of social associations.[116] Because of their size,
eyesight and powerful kicks, adult giraffes are mostly safe from
predation,[44] with lions being their only major threats.[51]: 55
Calves are much more vulnerable than adults and are also
preyed on by leopards, spotted hyenas and wild dogs.[52] A Lioness seen with an adult Masai
quarter to a half of giraffe calves reach adulthood.[114][117] Calf giraffe kill
survival varies according to the season of birth, with calves
born during the dry season having higher survival rates.[118]
The local, seasonal presence of large herds of migratory

wildebeests and zebras reduces predation pressure on giraffe
calves and increases their survival probability.[119] In turn, it
has been suggested that other ungulates may benefit from
associating with giraffes, as their height allows them to spot
predators from further away. Zebras were found to assess
predation risk by watching giraffes and spend less time looking
around when giraffes are present.[120]
Red-billed oxpeckers on a giraffe,
Some parasites feed on giraffes. They are often hosts for ticks, Zambia
especially in the area around the genitals, which have thinner
skin than other areas. Tick species that commonly feed on
giraffes are those of genera Hyalomma, Amblyomma and Rhipicephalus. Giraffes may rely on red-
billed and yellow-billed oxpeckers to clean them of ticks and alert them to danger. Giraffes host
numerous species of internal parasites and are susceptible to various diseases. They were victims
of the (now eradicated) viral illness rinderpest.[19] Giraffes can also suffer from a skin disorder,
which comes in the form of wrinkles, lesions or raw fissures. As much as 79% of giraffes have
symptoms of the disease in Ruaha National Park, but it did not cause mortality in Tarangire and is
less prevalent in areas with fertile soils.[121][122][123]
Human relations
Cultural significance
With its lanky build and spotted coat, the giraffe has been a source of fascination throughout
human history, and its image is widespread in culture. It has represented flexibility, far-
sightedness, femininity, fragility, passivity, grace, beauty and the continent of Africa itself.[124]: 7, 116
Giraffes were depicted in art throughout the African continent,

including that of the Kiffians, Egyptians, and
Kushites.[124]: 45–47 The Kiffians were responsible for a life-size
rock engraving of two giraffes, dated 8,000 years ago, that has
been called the "world's largest rock art petroglyph".[124]: 45 [125]
How the giraffe got its height has been the subject of various
African folktales.[12] The Tugen people of modern Kenya used
the giraffe to depict their god Mda.[126] The Egyptians gave the
giraffe its own hieroglyph; 'sr' in Old Egyptian and 'mmy' in
later periods.[124]: 49 San rock art in Namibia depicting a
giraffe
Giraffes have a presence in modern Western culture. Salvador
Dalí depicted them with burning manes in some of his
surrealist paintings. Dali considered the giraffe to be a masculine symbol, and a flaming giraffe was
meant to be a "masculine cosmic apocalyptic monster".[124]: 123 Several children's books feature the
giraffe, including David A. Ufer's The Giraffe Who Was Afraid of Heights, Giles Andreae's Giraffes
Can't Dance and Roald Dahl's The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me. Giraffes have appeared in
animated films, as minor characters in Disney's The Lion King and Dumbo, and in more
prominent roles in The Wild and the Madagascar films. Sophie the Giraffe has been a popular
teether since 1961. Another famous fictional giraffe is the Toys "R" Us mascot Geoffrey the
Giraffe.[124]: 127
The giraffe has also been used for some scientific experiments and discoveries. Scientists have used
the properties of giraffe skin as a model for astronaut and fighter pilot suits because the people in
these professions are in danger of passing out if blood rushes to their legs.[49]: 76 Computer
scientists have modeled the coat patterns of several subspecies using reaction–diffusion
mechanisms.[127] The constellation of Camelopardalis, introduced in the seventeenth century,
depicts a giraffe.[124]: 119–20 The Tswana people of Botswana traditionally see the constellation
Crux as two giraffes—Acrux and Mimosa forming a male, and Gacrux and Delta Crucis forming the
female.[128]
Captivity
The Egyptians were among the earliest people to keep giraffes in captivity and shipped them
around the Mediterranean.[124]: 48–49 The giraffe was among the many animals collected and
displayed by the Romans. The first one in Rome was brought in by Julius Caesar in 46 BC.[124]: 52
With the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the housing of giraffes in Europe declined.[124]: 54
During the Middle Ages, giraffes were known to Europeans through contact with the Arabs, who
revered the giraffe for its peculiar appearance.[52]
Individual captive giraffes were given celebrity status throughout

history. In 1414, a giraffe from Malindi was taken to China by explorer
Zheng He and placed in a Ming dynasty zoo. The animal was a source
of fascination for the Chinese people, who associated it with the
mythical Qilin.[124]: 56 The Medici giraffe was a giraffe presented to
Lorenzo de' Medici in 1486. It caused a great stir on its arrival in
Florence.[129] Zarafa, another famous giraffe, was brought from Egypt
to Paris in the early 19th century as a gift for Charles X of France. A
sensation, the giraffe was the subject of numerous memorabilia or
"giraffanalia".[124]: 81
Giraffes have become popular attractions in modern zoos, though

keeping them healthy is difficult as they require vast areas and need to
eat large amounts of browse. Captive giraffes in North America and
Europe appear to have a higher mortality rate than in the wild; the
most common causes being poor husbandry, nutrition and
management.[51]: 153 Giraffes in zoos display stereotypical behaviours,
particularly the licking of inanimate objects and pacing.[51]: 164
Zookeepers may offer various activities to stimulate giraffes, including Painting of a giraffe
training them to take food from visitors.[51]: 167, 176 Stables for giraffes imported to China during
are built particularly high to accommodate their height.[51]: 183 the Ming dynasty
Exploitation
Giraffes were probably common targets for hunters throughout Africa.[34]: 337 Different parts of
their bodies were used for different purposes.[19] Their meat was used for food. The tail hairs
served as flyswatters, bracelets, necklaces, and threads. Shields, sandals, and drums were made
using the skin, and the strings of musical instruments were from the tendons.[19][34]: 337 In
Buganda, the smoke of burning giraffe skin was traditionally used to treat nose bleeds.[34]: 337 The
Humr people of Kordofan consume the drink Umm Nyolokh, which is prepared from the liver and
bone marrow of giraffes. Richard Rudgley hypothesised that Umm Nyolokh might contain
DMT.[130] The drink is said to cause hallucinations of giraffes, believed to be the giraffes' ghosts, by
the Humr.[131]
Conservation status
In 2016, giraffes were assessed as Vulnerable from a conservation perspective by the IUCN.[1] In
1985, it was estimated there were 155,000 giraffes in the wild. This declined to over 140,000 in
1999.[30] Estimates as of 2016 indicate there are approximately 97,500 members of Giraffa in the
wild.[132][133] The Masai and reticulated subspecies are endangered,[134][135] and the Rothschild
subspecies is near threatened.[33] The Nubian subspecies is critically endangered.[136]
The primary causes for giraffe population declines are habitat loss and direct killing for bushmeat
markets. Giraffes have been extirpated from much of their historic range, including Eritrea,
Guinea, Mauritania and Senegal.[1] They may also have disappeared from Angola, Mali, and
Nigeria, but have been introduced to Rwanda and Eswatini.[1][136] As of 2010, there were more
than 1,600 in captivity at Species360-registered zoos.[28] Habitat destruction has hurt the giraffe.
In the Sahel, the need for firewood and grazing room for livestock has led to deforestation.
Normally, giraffes can coexist with livestock, since they avoid direct competition by feeding above
them.[37] In 2017, severe droughts in northern Kenya led to increased tensions over land and the
killing of wildlife by herders, with giraffe populations being particularly hit.[137]
Protected areas like national parks provide important habitat

and anti-poaching protection to giraffe populations.[1]
Community-based conservation efforts outside national parks
are also effective at protecting giraffes and their
habitats.[138][139] Private game reserves have contributed to the
preservation of giraffe populations in eastern and southern
Africa.[37] The giraffe is a protected species in most of its range.
It is the national animal of Tanzania,[140] and is protected by
law,[141] and unauthorised killing can result in Endangered West African giraffe
imprisonment. [142] The UN backed Convention of Migratory near Koure, Niger
Species selected giraffes for protection in 2017.[143] In 2019,
giraffes were listed under Appendix II of the Convention on
International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which means international trade including in
parts/derivatives is regulated.[144]
Translocations are sometimes used to augment or re-establish diminished or extirpated

populations, but these activities are risky and difficult to undertake using the best practices of
extensive pre- and post-translocation studies and ensuring a viable founding population.[145][146]
Aerial survey is the most common method of monitoring giraffe population trends in the vast
roadless tracts of African landscapes, but aerial methods are known to undercount giraffes.
Ground-based survey methods are more accurate and can be used in conjunction with aerial
surveys to make accurate estimates of population sizes and trends.[147]
See also
Fauna of Africa
Giraffe Centre
Giraffe Manor - hotel in Nairobi with giraffes
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External links
Official website (https://giraffeconservation.org/) of the Giraffe Conservation Foundation
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02/11/2023, 21:44 Giraffe - Wikipedia

The giraffe is a large African hoofed mammal belonging to

The giraffe's chief distinguishing characteristics are its

"Camelopard" /kəˈmɛləˌpɑːrd/ is an archaic English name

Giraffids like Palaeotragus, Shansitherium and Samotherium

Species and subspecies

Carl Linnaeus originally classified living giraffes as one species

⁠G. camelopardalis antiquorum (Kordofan giraffe)

⁠G. reticulata ⁠ ⁠(no subspecies)

Species and subspecies of giraffe

The West African

The South African

males tend to be bald and knobbed on top.[44] A lump, which is

Another theory, the sexual selection hypothesis, proposes the long

Legs, locomotion and posture

In mammals, the left recurrent laryngeal nerve is longer than

The giraffe's circulatory system has several adaptations to

Behaviour and ecology

Habitat and feeding

Giraffes usually inhabit savannahs and open woodlands. They

which differ in reproductive rates and calf mortality.[96]

Gathering of female South African

Giraffe hum, ogg/Vorbis format.

Giraffe snort ogg/Vorbis format.

Giraffe grunt ogg/Vorbis format.

Giraffe bursts ogg/Vorbis format

Problems playing these files? See media help.

Reproduction and parental care

Reproduction in giraffes is broadly polygamous: a few older males

Male giraffes assess female fertility by tasting the female's urine to

Mothers with calves will gather in nursery herds, moving or

Male giraffes use their necks as weapons in combat, a

Mortality and health

Giraffes have high adult survival probability,[114] and an

The local, seasonal presence of large herds of migratory

Giraffes were depicted in art throughout the African continent,

Individual captive giraffes were given celebrity status throughout

Giraffes have become popular attractions in modern zoos, though

Protected areas like national parks provide important habitat

Translocations are sometimes used to augment or re-establish diminished or extirpated

4. Ačaṙean, Hračʿeay (1973). "զուրափէ" (http://www.nayiri.com/imagedDictionaryBrowser.jsp?di

36. Winton, W. E. de (1 November 1899). "XXXVIII.—On mammals collected by Lieut.-Colonel W.

46. "Giraffa Brisson 1762 (giraffe)" (https://paleobiodb.org/classic/basicTaxonInfo?taxon_no=4269

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Giraffe&oldid=1181051936"

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