Most of us are aware of the fact that the giraffe is the tallest animal on the Earth. A significant number of people are also aware of the fact that it is the largest among various ruminating animal species on the planet. But, there is a lot more to know about this animal which is considered to be one of the icons of the African continent – a distinction which it shares with species – like, zebras and hippopotamus, which are exclusive to this region. One of the less known facts about giraffes revolves around its classification as species/sub-species, or types as many people would put it.

How Many Types of Giraffes are There?

As of today, only one species of giraffe is recognized – while the different types that we will be talking about are enlisted as the sub-species belonging to this lone species. As far as the giraffe habitat is concerned, it spans across the Savannah grasslands of Africa, right from Chad in north to South Africa in south. Even though that is considerably large area, each of the sub-species of giraffes are restricted to a particular region in this vast area. So, what’s all this confusion surrounding the types and sub-species of giraffe about? Basically, all this confusion can be attributed to genetic studies which reveal that each of the sub-species which are recognized today are actually individual species belonging to the family Giraffidae. Now, the family Giraffidae is a family of even-toed ungulates which comprises of giraffes, and okapi – which happens to be its closest relative.

Contrary to the belief that only one species of giraffe exists, while all the others are sub-species of this lone species, some studies have revealed that there exist around 8-10 species of giraffe in Africa – each of which differs from the other on the basis of their color and geographical range. This also implies that the alleged sub-species are reproductively isolated i.e. they don’t interbreed as there is no over-lapping of their geographical range. One can also see a significant difference in terms of their coat, with each of these giraffes sporting a coat unique in color. Experts suggest that this color variation has a crucial role to play when it comes to identification and mating – with giraffes belonging to different sub-species – as they put it, refusing to mate even if they come across each other.

What are the Different Types of Giraffes?

At a towering 18 ft – with long neck, angular spots and long legs, it’s easy to picture a giraffe. However, these generic characteristic traits that are quite popular among masses make it equally difficult for them to make a note of the fact that there exist at least 9 different types of giraffes in Africa. As we mentioned earlier, they are classified into different sub-species on the basis of their coloration, coat patterns, geographical distribution, etc. Given below is the list of different types of giraffes found in Africa on the basis of their geographical range.

* The West African Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis peralta) – also referred to as the Niger Giraffe or Nigerian Giraffe, which is found in the Sahel regions of West Africa.
* The Rothschild Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis rothschildi) – also known as the Baringo Giraffe or the Ugandan Giraffe, which is found in Kenya and Uganda.
* The Masai Giraffe or Maasai Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi) – also referred to as the Kilimanjaro Giraffe, found in Kenya and Tanzania.
* The Somali Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata) – more often referred to as the Reticulated Giraffe, which is found in Somalia, northern Kenya and southern Ethiopia.
* The Kordofan Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis antiquorum) which is found in northern Cameroon, southern Chad, Central African Republic and possibly western Sudan.
* The Thornicroft Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis thornicrofti) – also referred to as the Rhodesian Giraffe which is restricted to the Luangwa Valley in eastern Zambia.
* The South African Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis giraffa) which is found in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique.
* The Angolan Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis angolensis) – also referred to as the Smoky Giraffe, which is found in southern Angola, northern Namibia, southwestern Zambia, Botswana and western Zimbabwe.
* The Nubian Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis camelopardalis) which is found in eastern Sudan and northeastern DR Congo.

So, what is all this commotion on different types of giraffes about? Why do we even need to classify them into different species – when they are already categorized as sub-species. Basically, the fact that all the existing giraffes are clubbed into one single species blots out the fact that some of these alleged subs-species are on the verge of extinction and need immediate protection.

Even though giraffes – with the estimated population ranging between 110,000 to 150,000, are categorized as ‘Least Threatened’ species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the fact is that some sub-species of giraffe – like the West African Giraffe and the Rothschild Giraffe, have already become endangered with only a few hundred individuals left in wild. If they are classified into full-fledged species, it will be possible to pay attention to each of them and draft necessary conservation plans to ensure that they don’t become extinct. It’s obvious that the extinction of any of these giraffes will come heavy on the grasslands, after all, this species has a crucial role to play when it comes to smooth functioning of this biome.