The giraffe is the world's tallest animal. Giraffes eat twigs and leaves. Giraffes measure up to 18 feet high and can weigh over a ton. They travel in herds. There are 12-24 giraffes in a herd. Giraffes have seven bones in their neck. At birth they measure over 5 feet and continue to grow for about ten years. The giraffes have babies every two years. Giraffes inherit their glorious spots at birth, and each is unique--like our fingerprints. Some giraffes are born with no spots at all. All subspecies interbreed freely and they can be very hard to differentiate.
Giraffe family includes:
1. Reticulated - Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata - large, polygonal liver-colored spots outlined by a network of bright white lines. The blocks may sometimes appear deep red and may also cover the legs. Range: northeastern Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia
2. Masai - Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi - jagged-edged, vine-leaf shaped spots of dark chocolate on a yellowish background. Range: central and southern Kenya, Tanzania
3. Baringo/Rothchild - Giraffa camelopardalis rothschildi - deep brown, blotched or rectangular spots with poorly defined cream lines. Hocks may be spotted. Range: Uganda, north-central Kenya
4. Nubian - Giraffa camelopardalis camelopardalis - large, four-sided spots of chestnul brown on an off-white background and no spots on inner sides of the legs or below the hocks. Range: eastern Sudan, northeast Congo
5. Kordofan - Giraffa camelopardalis antiquorum - smaller, more irregular spots that do cover the inner legs. Range: western and southwestern Sudan
6. Nigerian - Giraffa camelopardalis peralta - numberous pale, yellowish red spots. Range: Chad
7. Cape - Giraffa camelopardalis giraffa or capensis - rounded or blotched spots, some with starlike extensions on a light tan background, running down to the hooves. Range: South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique
8. Angola - Giraffa camelopardalis angolensis - large spots and some notches around the edges, extending down the entire lower leg. Range: Angola,Zambia
9. Thornicroft - Giraffa camelopardalis thornicrofti - star-shaped or leafy spots extend to the lower leg. Range: eastern Zambia
My Favorite Sites for Shopping
Other Giraffe Links
My Giraffe Collection Online
Janet's Giraffe Haven
Matt's Wicked World of Giraffes
All Things Giraffe
Giraffe Photo's
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Giraffe Camera
All pictures,logos, and general webpage setup is the copyright of HSGIRAFFE. All other links, logos, webpage backgrounds, and graphics are copyright protected by their original owners and are used with their permission or license agreements.
Giraffe information on this page was obtained from "Tall Blondes" by Lynn Sherr copyright 1997.
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