Fact Sheet: Reticulated Giraffe
Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata
Description:
 Size:
o Height:
 Male: 18 ft (5.5 m)
 Female: 14-15 ft (4-4.5m)
 Weight:
o Male: 2,425 lbs (1,100 kg)
o Female: 1,540 lbs (700 kg)
 The world’s tallest mammal
 Sexual dimorphisms:
o Males are larger than females
o Males tend to have thicker ossicones (horn-like projections), and may have 2 sets
as opposed to a female’s single set.
 Physical description: An extremely tall ungulate with a long neck and tall legs. Front legs
are longer than back legs, and back slopes steeply from shoulders to rump. Have very
large eyes and ossicones on their head. Ossicones are bone protuberances covered with
skin and fur. Female horns are thin and tufted, male giraffe horns are thick but the hair
is smoothed by sparring. Tails are thin and long, measuring about 76 to 101 cm in
length. A black tuft at the end of the tail whisks away flies and other flying insects.
o Are ruminants with a 4-chambered stomach
Habitat and Range:
 Geographic range: Found in sub-Saharan Africa
 Preferred habitat: Dry and arid savanna with some trees
Diet:
 Herbivore
o Eats only leaves
o Prefer the acacia tree to any other plant
Adaptations:
 Coat patterns vary and aid in camouflage with different habitats
 Sleep standing up but can occasionally lie down. Giraffes that are resting lightly remain
in a fully upright position, with half-closed eyes, and ears continuing to twitch
 Height allows giraffes a continual visual contact while at great distances from their herd
 Acute eyesight allows them to spot predators at a distance so they can prepare to
defend themselves by kicking.
 A giraffe’s long, prehensile black tongue grasps prickly food from the very tops of trees.
Their long tongues, narrow muzzles, and flexible upper lips help obtain leaves from the
tall trees they use for browsing. Main food is the leaves from Acacia trees.
 Chewing cud while traveling helps to maximize feeding opportunities (eat on the go)
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Reticulated Giraffe
The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore

Defense: use height to look out for predators; are capable of running quickly and
delivering deadly blows with their front hooves
Lifespan:
 In the wild: between 10 and 16 years
 In captivity: up to 25 years
Ecosystem relationships:
 Predators: Lions, hyenas, leopards, wild dogs
 Interspecies competitors: Only elephants can eat the same food as giraffes in any
meaningful amounts
 Role/niche:
o Possible that they provide pollination for the acacia trees when they bloom and
flower in the late dry season
o Due to height and strength of sight, may function as a “warning system” for
many other prey species
o Enjoy a mutualistic (mutually beneficial) relationship with the oxpecker bird, who
perches on the backs and shoulders of giraffes and remove external parasites
such as ticks
Reproduction:
 Breeding season: Typically occurs during periods of high food and low stress during the
rainy season
 Behavior: Typically polygynous—one male will mate with several females
o Males will taste and smell the urine of females, and can determine whether the
females are in estrous (are fertile) from the hormones in their urine. They use a
distinct lip-curling motion known as the flehmen response, which activates their
Jacobson’s organ, which is the same organ that snakes use to sense in
conjunction with their tongue.
o Bulls carefully guard estrous females from other bulls, and “court” them by
rubbing the rump and back of the female with his head, licking the tail, and
copulating if the female is receptive.
 Gestation: typically lasts 15 months
 Clutch size: Almost always have a single young—twins are extremely uncommon
o Giraffes give birth standing, so the newborn giraffes drop approximately 6 ft to
the ground
 Maturation: Calves attempt to stand immediately
o Calves eat solid food after a few weeks but continue to nurse for 15-17 months
o Once calves are about 3 or 4 weeks old, mother giraffes will steer them into
crèches, or groups, with other young giraffes, so that one mother can watch the
calves while the rest move further away to forage
o Bulls become independent after they are done nursing, and typically leave to be
solitary for a few years. Females tend to stay in the herd with their mother.
o Females achieve maturity at 3-4 years, but usually do not breed for at least a
9/29/2015
Reticulated Giraffe
The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore
year after maturity. Males achieve maturity at 4-5 years, but rarely breed until 7.
Activity:
 Diurnal
o Mainly awake during the day
o Giraffes sleep at night whilst standing
 Social behavior: Very social animals—live in “open herds” of 10 to 20, but herds of 70
have been recorded
o Non-territorial
Other “fun facts”:
 Giraffes almost never lie down—they sleep and give birth standing up
 “Necking” is when two adult male giraffes spare by standing alongside each other and
swinging their heads at the other giraffe
 Communicate with one another by using infrasonic sound
 Considered “silent mammals” because of their infrequency of vocalization
 Because of their height, giraffes are able to maintain excellent visual contact with their
herd, even at great distances
Conservation Status and Threats:
 Listed on the IUCN Red List as Vulnerable
o Population has declined about 40% over the last 30 years
 Although giraffes are not considered endangered, their population is declining due to
poaching and habitat destruction
o Efforts are underway to get an accurate census of the entire population
o There are fewer giraffes in Africa than elephants
o West African and Rothschild subspecies are listed as Endangered
 Despite their popularity with the public, there has been surprisingly little scientific
research on giraffe populations and ecology. More research is needed to clarify
conservation needs and actions.
At the Zoo
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Caesar, male: born August 2006 (from The Jacksonville Zoo)
o Tallest and darkest of the giraffes
Anuli: female, born September 2012 (from The Hogle Zoo)
o Our smallest giraffe
o Name means “daughter who brings happiness”
Juma: female, born July 2012 (from The North Carolina Zoo)
o One of the tallest females, very light in color
o Name means “born on Friday”
Kesi: female, born June 2010 (from The Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo)
o The taller of the two darker females
Calf: female, born February 6, 2017, mother is giraffe Juma.
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Reticulated Giraffe
The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore
o Measured 6’1” and 125 lbs at first veterinary exam.
What We Can Do
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Make environmentally responsible lifestyle decisions to help conserve habitat - conserve
energy and resources, reduce litter and pollution
Support the conservation efforts of local organizations like The Maryland Zoo as well as
organizations working in the field to protect wildlife and conserve habitat
o The Giraffe Conservation Foundation
 World Giraffe Day
o IUCN: Giraffe and Okapi Specialist Group
References and additional resources:
 http://www.marylandzoo.org/animals-conservation/mammals/reticulated-giraffe/
 http://www.arkive.org/giraffe/giraffa-camelopardalis/factsheet
 http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Giraffa_camelopardalis/
 http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/summary/9194/0
 http://www.antelopetag.com/assets/docs/Giraffe/Giraffe07.pdf
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Reticulated Giraffe
The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore