| Southern giraffe | |
|---|---|
_males.jpg) | |
| MaleAngolan giraffes inEtosha National Park,Namibia. | |
Not recognized (IUCN 3.1) | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | Giraffidae |
| Genus: | Giraffa |
| Species: | G. giraffa |
| Binomial name | |
| Giraffa giraffa (von Schreber, 1784) | |
Thesouthern giraffe (Giraffa giraffa), also known astwo-horned giraffe,[1] is aspecies ofgiraffe native toSouthern Africa.[2] TheIUCN recognises four giraffe species, with several recognised subspecies.[3][4][5]
Southern giraffes have rounded or blotched spots, some with star-like extensions on a light tan background, running down to thehooves. They range fromSouth Africa,Angola,Namibia,Botswana,Zambia,Zimbabwe,Mozambique. Their approximate population is composed of 44,500 to 50,000 individuals.[6]
Giraffes are consideredVulnerable to extinction by the IUCN.[3]
Living giraffes were originally classified as one species byCarl Linnaeus in 1758, under thebinomial nameCervus camelopardalis.Morten Thrane Brünnich classified the genusGiraffa in 1772.[7] Once considered a subspecies of the conglomerateGiraffa camelopardalis species, recent studies proposed the southern giraffe as a separate species of a reorganised genusGiraffa, under the binomial nameGiraffa giraffa.[2][6][8]
| Subspecies | Description | Image |
|---|---|---|
| Angolan giraffe (G. g. angolensis), also known asNamibian Giraffe | Is found in SouthernAngola, northernNamibia, south-westernZambia,Botswana, and westernZimbabwe. A 2009 genetic study on this subspecies suggests the northernNamib Desert andEtosha National Park populations each form a separate subspecies.[9] This subspecies has large brown blotches with edges that are either somewhat notched or have 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.[10]: 51 Around 13,000 animals are estimated to remain in the wild; and about 20 are kept in zoos.[6] |  |
| South African giraffe (G. g. giraffa), also known asCape giraffe | Is found in northernSouth Africa, southern Botswana, southern Zimbabwe,Eswatini, south-westernMozambique. andMalawi It has dark, somewhat rounded patches "with some fine projections" on a tawny background colour. The spots extend down the legs and get smaller. The median lump of males is less developed.[10]: 52 Approximately 31,500 are estimated to remain in the wild, and around 45 are kept in zoos.[6] |  |
TheSouth African subspecies of the southern giraffe has dark, somewhat rounded patches "with some fine projections" on a tawny background colour. The spots extend down the legs and get smaller. The median lump of bulls is less developed.[10]: 52
The southern giraffes live in the savannahs and woodlands of northern South Africa, Angola, southern Botswana, southern Zimbabwe, Zambia and south-westernMozambique. After local extinctions in various places, South African giraffes have been reintroduced in many parts of Southern Africa, includingEswatini,Majete Game Reserve inMalawi,[11] and Maputo andZinave National Parks inMozambique,[12] the Angolan giraffe has been reintroduced to the Cuatir Conservation Area in Southern Angola and starting in 2023Iona National Park[13] on the north bank of theCunene River.
They are common in both inside and outside of protected areas.[3]
Southern giraffes usually live in savannahs and woodlands where food plants are available. Southern giraffes are herbivorous mammals. They feed on leaves, flowers, fruits and shoots of woody plants such asAcacia.
Southern giraffes are not threatened, as their population is increasing.[3]
Definitions from Wiktionary
Media from Commons
Texts from Wikisource
Taxa from Wikispecies