The giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) is an African even-toed ungulate mammal, the tallest living terrestrial animal and the largest ruminant. Its species name refers to its camel-like appearance and the patches of color on its fur. Its chief distinguishing characteristics are its extremely long neck and legs, its horn-like ossicones, and its distinctive coat patterns. It stands 5–6 m (16–20 ft) tall and has an average weight of 1,600 kg (3,500 lb) for males and 830 kg (1,800 lb) for females. It is classified under the family Giraffidae, along with its closest extant relative, the okapi. The nine subspecies are distinguished by their coat patterns. The giraffe's 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 savannas, grasslands, and open woodlands. Their primary food source is acacia leaves, which they browse at heights most other herbivores cannot reach. Giraffes are preyed on by lions, and calves are also targeted by leopards, spotted hyenas, and wild dogs. Adult giraffes do not have strong social bonds, though they do gather in loose aggregations if they happen to be moving in the same general direction. Males establish social hierarchies through "necking", which are combat bouts where the neck is used as a weapon. Dominant males gain mating access to females, which bear the sole responsibility for raising the young. The giraffe has intrigued various cultures, both ancient and modern, 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 as Least Concern, but has been extirpated from many parts of its former range, and some subspecies are classified as Endangered. Nevertheless, giraffes are still found in numerous national parks and game reserves. Contents [hide] 1 Etymology 2 Taxonomy and evolution 2.1 Subspecies 3 Appearance and anatomy 3.1 Skull and ossicones 3.2 Legs, locomotion and posture 3.3 Neck 3.4 Internal systems 4 Behavior and ecology 4.1 Habitat and feeding 4.2 Social life and breeding habits 4.2.1 Reproduction 4.2.1.1 Birthing and parental care 4.3 Necking 4.4 Mortality and health 5 Relationship with humans 5.1 History and cultural significance 5.2 Exploitation and conservation status 6 References 7 External links Etymology The name "giraffe" has its earliest known origins in the Arabic word zarafa (زرافة), perhaps from some African language.[3] The name is translated as "fast-walker".[4] There were several Middle English spellings such as jarraf, ziraph, and gerfauntz.[3] The word possibly was derived from the animal's Somali name geri.[5] The Italian form giraffa arose in the 1590s.[3] The modern English form developed around 1600 from the French girafe.[3] The species name camelopardalis is from Latin.[6] Kameelperd is also the name for the species in Afrikaans.[7] Other African names for the giraffe include ekorii (Ateso), kanyiet (Elgon), nduida (Gikuyu), tiga (Kalenjin and Luo), ndwiya (Kamba), nudululu (Kihehe), ntegha (Kinyaturu), ondere (Lugbara), etiika (Luhya), kuri (Ma'di), oloodo-kirragata or olchangito-oodo (Maasai), lenywa (Meru), hori (Pare), lment (Samburu) and twiga (Swahili and others) in the east;[8]:313 and tutwa (Lozi), nthutlwa (Shangaan), indlulamitsi (Siswati), thutlwa (Sotho), thuda (Venda) and ndlulamithi (Zulu) in the south.[7] Taxonomy and evolution Mounted Shansitherium skeleton from the Beijing Museum of Natural History The giraffe belongs to suborder Ruminantia, and many Ruminantia have been described from the mid-Eocene in Central Asia, Southeast Asia, and North America. The ecological conditions during this period may have facilitated their rapid dispersal.[9] The giraffe is one of only two living species of the family Giraffidae, the other being the okapi. The family was once much more extensive, with over 10 fossil genera described. Their closest known relatives are the extinct climacocerids. They, together with the family Antilocapridae (whose only extant species is the pronghorn), belong to the superfamily Giraffoidea. These animals evolved from the extinct family Palaeomerycidae 8 million years ago (mya) in south-central Europe during the Miocene epoch.[9] While some ancient giraffids such as Sivatherium had massive bodies, others such as Giraffokeryx, Palaeotragus (possible ancestor of the okapi), Samotherium, and Bohlinia were more elongated.[9] Bohlinia entered China and northern India in response to climate change. From here, the genus Giraffa evolved and, around 7 mya, entered Africa. Further climate changes caused the extinction of the Asian giraffes, while the African ones survived and radiated into several new species. G. camelopardalis arose around 1 mya in eastern Africa during the Pleistocene.[9] Some biologists suggest the modern giraffe descended from G. jumae;[10] others find G. gracilis a more likely candidate.[9] The main driver for the evolution of the giraffes is believed to have been the change from extensive forests to more open habitats, which began 8 mya.[9] Some researchers have hypothesized this new habitat with a different diet, including Acacia, may have exposed giraffe ancestors to toxins that caused higher mutation rates and a higher rate of evolution.[11] The giraffe was one of the many species first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. He gave it the binomial name Cervus camelopardalis. Morten Thrane Brünnich classified the genus Giraffa in 1772.[12] In the early 19th century, Jean-Baptiste Lamarck believed the giraffe's long neck was an "acquired characteristic", developed as generations of ancestral giraffes strove to reach the leaves of tall trees.[13] This theory was eventually rejected, and scientists now believe the giraffe's neck arose through Darwinian natural selection—that ancestral giraffes with long necks thereby had a competitive advantage that better enabled them to reproduce and pass on their genes.[13] Subspecies "Approximate geographic ranges, fur patterns, and phylogenetic relationships between some giraffe subspecies based on mitochondrial DNA sequences. Colored dots on the map represent sampling localities. The phylogenetic tree is a maximum-likelihood phylogram based on samples from 266 giraffes. Asterisks along branches correspond to node values of more than 90% bootstrap support. Stars at branch tips identify paraphyletic haplotypes found in Maasai and Reticulated giraffes".[14] Up to nine subspecies of giraffe are recognized (with population estimates as of 2010): The Nubian giraffe, G. c. camelopardalis,[15] the nominate subspecies, is found in eastern South Sudan and south-western Ethiopia. Fewer than 250 are thought to remain in the wild, although this number is uncertain.[16] It is rare in captivity, although a group is kept at Al Ain Zoo in the United Arab Emirates.[17] In 2003, this group numbered 14.[18] The reticulated giraffe, G. c. reticulata,[15] also known as the Somali giraffe, is native to north-eastern Kenya, southern Ethiopia, and Somalia. An estimated no more than 5,000 remain in the wild,[16] and based on International Species Information System records, more than 450 are kept in zoos.[19] The Angolan giraffe or the Namibian giraffe, G. c. angolensis, is found in northern Namibia, south-western Zambia, Botswana, and western Zimbabwe. A 2009 genetic study on this subspecies suggests the northern Namib Desert and Etosha National Park populations form a separate subspecies.[20] No more than 20,000 are estimated to remain in the wild;[16] and about 20 are kept in zoos.[19] The Kordofan giraffe, G. c. antiquorum,[15] has a distribution which includes southern Chad, the Central African Republic, northern Cameroon, and north-eastern DR Congo. Populations in Cameroon were formerly included in G. c. peralta, but this was incorrect.[21] No more than 3,000 are believed to remain in the wild.[16] Considerable confusion has existed over the status of this subspecies and G. c. peralta in zoos. In 2007, all alleged G. c. peralta in European zoos were shown to be, in fact, G. c. antiquorum.[21] With this correction, about 65 are kept in zoos.[19] The Masai giraffe, G. c. tippelskirchi,[15] also known as the Kilimanjaro giraffe, can be found in central and southern Kenya and in Tanzania. No more than 40,000 are thought to remain in the wild,[16] and about 100 are kept in zoos.[19] Rothschild's giraffe, G. c. rothschildi[15] named for Walter Rothschild,[15] is also called the Baringo or Ugandan giraffe. Its range includes parts of Uganda and Kenya.[2] Its presence in South Sudan is uncertain.[22] Fewer than 700 are believed to remain in the wild,[16] and more than 450 are kept in zoos.[19] The South African giraffe, G. c. giraffa, is found in northern South Africa, southern Botswana, southern Zimbabwe, and south-western Mozambique. Less than 12,000 are estimated to remain in the wild,[16] and around 45 are kept in zoos.[19] The Rhodesian giraffe, G. c. thornicrofti,[15] also called the Thornicroft giraffe after Harry Scott Thornicroft,[15] is restricted to the Luangwa Valley in eastern Zambia. No more than 1,500 remain in the wild,[16] with none kept in zoos.[19] The West African giraffe, G. c. peralta,[15] also known as the Niger or Nigerian giraffe,[23] is endemic to south-western Niger.[2] Fewer than 220 individuals remain in the wild.[16] Giraffes in Cameroon were formerly believed to belong to this subspecies, but are actually G. c. antiquorum.[21] This error resulted in some confusion over its status in zoos, but in 2007, it was established that all "G. c. peralta" kept in European zoos actually are G. c. antiquorum.[21]