Southern giraffe
| Southern giraffe | |
|---|---|
| Male Angolan giraffes in Etosha National Park, Namibia. | |
Not recognized (IUCN 3.1) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | Giraffidae |
| Genus: | Giraffa |
| Species: | G. giraffa |
| Binomial name | |
| Giraffa giraffa (von Schreber, 1784) | |
The southern giraffe (Giraffa giraffa), also known as two-horned giraffe, is a species of giraffe native to Southern Africa. However, the IUCN currently recognizes only one species of giraffe with nine subspecies.
Southern giraffes have rounded or blotched spots, some with star-like extensions on a light tan background, running down to the hooves. They range from South Africa, Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique. Their approximate population is composed of 44,500 to 50,000 individuals.
Giraffes as one species are considered Vulnerable to extinction by the IUCN.