Classification Poster
Reticulated Giraffe
Taxonomy of the Giraffe
COMMON NAME:
giraffe
KINGDOM:
Animalia
PHYLUM:
Chordata
CLASS:
Mammalia
ORDER:
Artiodactyla
FAMILY:
Giraffidae
GENUS SPECIES:
Giraffa (one who walks swiftly) camelopardalis (camel marked like a leopard)
Interesting Information:
Native to Somalia, southern Ethiopia, and northern Kenya. Among the most well-known of the nine giraffe species. This is the giraffe that is most commonly seen in zoos. ts coat consists of large, polygonal, liver-colored spots outlined by a network of bright-white lines. The blocks may sometimes appear deep red and may also cover the legs. The extraordinary height of giraffes is attributed to a ritual known as "necking", where two males fight for reproduction rights by slamming their necks into one another. The giraffes with the tallest and strongest necks are victorious and allowed to reproduce, thus passing these genes on to future generations.