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The
giraffe is a large African
hoofed mammal belonging to the genus
Giraffa. It is the
tallest living terrestrial animal and the largest
ruminant on Earth. Traditionally, giraffes 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 heights most other herbivores cannot reach.
Lions,
leopards,
spotted hyenas, and
African wild dogs may 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.
Dominant males gain mating access to females, which bear sole responsibility for raising the young.
The giraffe has intrigued various ancient and modern cultures 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 (IUCN) 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 there are approximately 97,500 members of
Giraffa in the wild. More than 1,600 were kept in zoos in 2010.