Giraffes are classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN’s Red List. Their population size has been declining in recent years. Unlike the females, the bulls seemingly form no lasting social bonds. Once they disperse from their mothers, they may temporarily join bachelor herds but become increasingly solitary as they age. Sexual maturity is attained at around four years of age, but it may take several years until they can compete for mating rights. Schmitt, M. H.; Stears, K.; Shrader, A. M. (2016). "Zebra reduce predation risk in mixed-species herds by eavesdropping on cues from giraffe". Behavioral Ecology. 27 (4): 1073–1077. doi: 10.1093/beheco/arw015.

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 ranging from mostly rounded and smooth edged to oval shaped and incised or loped edged. [43] A median 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 are living in zoos. [28]Bond, Monica L.; König, Barbara; Ozgul, Arpat; Farine, Damien R.; Lee, Derek E. (2021). "Socially Defined Subpopulations Reveal Demographic Variation in a Giraffe Metapopulation". The Journal of Wildlife Management. 85 (5): 920–931. doi: 10.1002/jwmg.22044. ISSN 1937-2817. S2CID 233600744. Archived from the original on 8 March 2022 . Retrieved 8 April 2021. Langley, Liz (4 March 2017). "Do Zebras Have Stripes On Their Skin?". National Geographic. Archived from the original on 1 April 2019 . Retrieved 2 June 2020. van der Jeugd, H. P.; Prins, H. H. T. (2000). "Movements and group structure of giraffe ( Giraffa camelopardalis) in Lake Manyara National Park, Tanzania" (PDF). Journal of Zoology. 251 (1): 15–21. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-7998.2000.tb00588.x. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 November 2013. Fennessy, J. (2004). Ecology of desert-dwelling giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis angolensis in northwestern Namibia ( PhD thesis). University of Sydney. Archived from the original on 20 November 2018 . Retrieved 30 January 2012.

Female giraffes are smaller, rarely reaching half that weight. Compared to other hoofed mammals the giraffe has a relatively short body, however, its legs are disproportionately long. 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 living giraffes. [21] A 2016 study also concluded that living giraffes consist of multiple species. The researchers suggested the existence of four species, which have not exchanged genetic information between each other for 1 to 2 million years. [22] Qiu, Jane (2017). "Surge in wildlife killings is wiping out giraffes". Science. doi: 10.1126/science.aan7000. Archived from the original on 9 February 2023 . Retrieved 30 June 2022. The giraffe has the longest tail of any land mammal. Their tail can grow to be 8 feet (2.4 metres) long, including the tuft on the end. Camelopard" / k ə ˈ m ɛ l ə ˌ p ɑːr d/ 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 EvolutionMale giraffes spend about 22% of the 24 hours walking, compared to 13% for female giraffes. The rest of the time male giraffes are searching for a female giraffe to mate with. Giraffe herds do not have a leader and individual giraffes show no particular preferences for others in the herd.

The word “reticulated” refers to the giraffe’s network of polygonal brown spots, broken up by veins of creamy off-white, according to the Denver Zoo. The spots function primarily as camouflage in the savannas of northern Kenya where they live and graze. a b c d e VanderWaal, K. L.; Wang, H.; McCowan, B.; Fushing, H.; Isbell, L. A. (2014). "Multilevel social organization and space use in reticulated giraffe ( Giraffa camelopardalis)". Behavioral Ecology. 25 (1): 17–26. doi: 10.1093/beheco/art061. 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 1.7–2m (5.6–6.6ft) 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] Female Angolan giraffe with calf When male giraffes are ready to breed, they begin the ritual combat over mates. Giraffes are non- territorial and a successful male giraffe will mate with receptive female giraffes whenever and wherever it finds them. a b c Coimbra, Raphael T.F.; Winter, Sven; Kumar, Vikas; Koepfli, Klaus-Peter; Gooley, Rebecca M.; Dobrynin, Pavel; Fennessy, Julian; Janke, Axel (2021). "Whole-genome analysis of giraffe supports four distinct species". Current Biology. 31 (13): 2929–2938.e5. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.04.033. ISSN 0960-9822. PMID 33957077.

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Among mammals the fur and the hair are the primary features that assist in thermoregulation, not the color of the fur,” he says. “Giraffes can regularly raise their body temperature by a few degrees … they don’t sweat,” he says. “That’s one of the reasons you find giraffes under trees—they want to keep their body temperatures within certain limits.” Like many of Africa’s large mammals, giraffes have declined in numbers and in range over the last century. At one time, herds of over 100 animals were common in savanna regions across the continent, however, today concentrations like these exist only in East Africa particularly Tanzania Serengeti National Park. A less well-known fact about this fascinating animal is that there are nine subspecies of giraffe currently recognised in Africa. These subspecies inhabit different countries across Africa, but increasing genetic evidence suggests that some may not be that different from others, while others may be distinct species in their own right. Research efforts are currently underway to unravel the mystery of giraffe genetics. Each of these subspecies differs in their coat pattern, but also in size. Rafferty, John. P (2011). Grazers (Britannica Guide to Predators and Prey). Britannica Educational Publishing. p. 194. ISBN 978-1-61530-336-6.