THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS GIRAFFE

A fascinating bit of modern evolutionary biology!

While the long-necked animals we call giraffes obviously exist in the wild, the classic concept of "a single giraffe species" (Giraffa camelopardalis) was scientifically dismantled.

Historically, taxonomists classified all giraffes under one single species with multiple sub-species. However, extensive DNA research (led by the Giraffe Conservation Foundation and Goethe University) revealed that there are actually four distinct species of giraffes that do not interbreed in the wild:

Northern Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis)

There are three recognized subspecies of northern giraffe: the Kordofan giraffe, the Nubian giraffe, and the West African giraffe.

Southern Giraffe (Giraffa giraffa)

South African giraffe is the only one species of giraffe with nine subspecies.

Reticulated Giraffe (Giraffa reticulata) (Somalian Giraffe)

The reticulated giraffe is the largest species of giraffe and the tallest land animal in general

Masai Giraffe (Giraffa tippelskirchi) or Kilimanjaro giraffe

Genetic Distance: The genetic differences between these four species are as significant as the differences between polar bears and brown bears or Lions and Domestic cats.

For centuries, science recognized only one single species named Giraffa camelopardalis (the "giraffe"). Under that standard, every individual in the wild was just a regional variation of that one single animal. DNA evidence proved there is no single master species. Instead, there are four entirely separate species that evolved independently and do not interbreed in the wild.

"Giraffe" is now an umbrella term for a genus or sub-genus, not a single specific animal. Just as there is no single animal called "a bear" (there are Grizzly bears, Polar bears, Panda bears), there is no single animal that is just "a giraffe."

So, while the long-necked, spot-patterned animals standing in the African savanna obviously exist, "a giraffe" as a single, unified biological species does not!