How many varieties of giraffes are there?

How many varieties of giraffes are there?

four
This study revealed that there are four distinct species of giraffe, and several subspecies. The four distinct species are Masai giraffe (G. tippelskirchi), Northern giraffe (G. camelopardalis), Reticulated giraffe (G.

What are the 4 different giraffe species?

But through the most comprehensive study of these animals to date, researchers uncovered data suggesting giraffes should be categorized into four distinct species: northern giraffe, southern giraffe, Masai giraffe and reticulated giraffe.

What are the 3 types of giraffes?

According to this new study, there are 4 distinct species:

• Masai giraffe (G. tippelskirchi)
• Northern giraffe (G. camelopardalis) 3 subspecies.
• Reticulated giraffe (G. reticulata)
• Southern giraffe (G. giraffa) 2 subspecies.

What are the 9 subspecies of giraffe?

Those nine subspecies are:

• The Nubian Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis)
• The West African Giraffe (G. c.
• The Kordofan Giraffe (G. c.
• The South African Giraffe (G.
• The Angolan (or Smoky) Giraffe (G.
• The Masai (or Kilimanjaro) Giraffe (G.
• The Thornicroft’s (or Rhodesian) Giraffe (G.
• The Rothschild’s (or Ugandan) Giraffe (G.

How do scientists tell different giraffe species apart?

The species also look slightly different from each other: the Masai giraffe, for example, is noticeably darker, with patches separated by irregular, light brown lines all the way down to their legs. The reticulated giraffe has brown-orange patches separated by thick, bright white lines.

What are different variations of giraffes?

Those four species include:

• southern giraffe (Giraffa giraffa),
• Masai giraffe (G. tippelskirchi),
• reticulated giraffe (G. reticulata)
• northern giraffe (G. camelopardalis), which includes the Nubian giraffe (G. c. camelopardalis) as a distinct but related subspecies.

Do giraffes have different patterns?

Each subspecies of giraffe has its own pattern style. Within those styles, each giraffe has his own distinct pattern. Although there is some disagreement in the scientific world about the exact number of subspecies, there are nine possible ones.

Can giraffe species interbreed?

“Masai, Reticulated, and Northern Giraffes all occur in East Africa in adjacent regions; yet they almost never interbreed. This is additional evidence of the fact that they are independent species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) still considers all giraffes to be a single species.

How many types of giraffes are there in Kenya?

three species
Kenya is home to three species of giraffe: the reticulated giraffe, Masai giraffe (Giraffa tippelskirchi) and Nubian giraffe subspecies (G. c. camelopardalis).

How many species and subspecies does a giraffe have?

Giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis) are presently classified as one species, with nine subspecies, which are considered ‘Vulnerable’ on the IUCN Red List [2].

How do you identify a giraffe?

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.

What is one feature that differs in a population of giraffes?

For a long time, researchers and observers alike have noticed the visible variation between individual giraffes in features like color and coat pattern, but this had long been ascribed to simple diversity throughout the various subspecies.