Giraffe

Species

In 2016, DNA analysis suggested there were 4 separate species of giraffe (Masai, Northern, Southern and reticulated) and 5 subspecies, which the Giraffe Conservation Foundation has adopted. This study has been published in Current Biology earlier this year. However, most literature, still list one species with 8 subspecies.

Giraffa tippelskirchi
Giraffa camelopardalis antiquorum
Giraffa camelopardalis camelopardalis
Giraffa camelopardalis peralta
Giraffa giraffa giraffa
Giraffa giraffa angolensis
Giraffa reticulata

Masai giraffe
Kordofan giraffe
Nubian giraffe
West African giraffe
South African giraffe
Angolan giraffe
Reticulated giraffe

Population

The Giraffe Conservation Foundation estimates there are 117,000 wild giraffes in Africa (2021). Giraffes were listed as vulnerable with decreasing population in 2016 by the IUCN.

Size

Giraffes grow to 4.3 to 5.8 metres tall and weigh 794 to 1,270kg. Males can weigh up to 1,930 kg.
Giraffes will usually reach their maximum height by age 4 but will still continue to put on weight.

Habitat & distribution

Giraffes live in dense forests to open plains, wherever there are trees, especially acacia.
They are native to 15 African countries.

Giraffes have horns

Giraffes are born with horns or ossicones. They are not attached to the skull and lie flat. Later in life, the ossicones fuse to the skull. The horns are covered with skin and males use them for defence. In males, they are thicker and bald on top and in females they are thinner and tufted. In some species, a second pair grow behind the first pair.

Diet

Giraffes are herbivores. They eat leaves (over 100kg per week) and their favourite is acacia. Seed pods, flowers and fruits are also part of their diet. Being a tall animal, giraffes can reach the leaves and fruit other animals can't. They only need to drink water every few days as they get plenty of fluid from their diet. Bending down to drink is quite task - they have to spread their front legs out so they can get their mouth far enough down to the water. Giraffes are ruminants and chew their cud.

Interesting facts

A giraffe's bluish tongue can measure 45-50cm long. And, they have hairy lips.
Despite their necks being 2.4 metres long, they only have 7 neck bones like other mammals.
Pumping blood up to the brain requires a large heart (11.3 kg) and a high blood pressure of 280/180 mmHg (in resting adult humans it's 120/80 mmHg). They also have specially adapted valves to stop blood rushing back down or prevent fainting when they raise their head or swing their neck quickly.
The black tail hair is 10-20 times thicker than human hair.
Giraffes have large feet (30cm diameter) and can run at speeds of up to 60 km per hour.

Group

A group of giraffes is called a tower. They are social animals but the herd is unstable, varying from 10-20 individuals that join and leave at will.

Breeding & lifespan

The gestation period is 15 months. Females give birth to calves standing up. This means the calf drops 1.5 metres to the ground. A newborn calf can stand 30 minutes after they are born and will be running 10 hours later. At 1.6 metres tall, they calf is able to reach its mother's milk. Calves grow fast - around 2.5 cm per day and they almost double their height in one year. Unfortunately, in some populations, the survival of calves is only 25%.
It is thought giraffes live to 10-15 years in the wild.

Predators & threats

Lions are they main predator (especially for calves) as well as leopards, hyenas and crocodiles.
Humans are they major threat - both hunting and habitat loss. Giraffes have been hunting for their skins, meat and tails (tails are prized in many African cultures and used for good luck bracelets, fly swats and used as thread). Giraffe habitat has shrunk by 40% in the last 30 years.