The Masai giraffe (''Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi'' or ''Giraffa tippelskirchi''), also spelled Maasai giraffe, and sometimes called Kilimanjaro giraffe, is a subspecies or species of

giraffe The giraffe is a large African hoofed mammal belonging to the genus ''Giraffa''. It is the tallest living terrestrial animal and the largest ruminant on Earth. Traditionally, giraffes were thought to be one species, ''Giraffa camelopardalis ...

. It is native to

East Africa East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territories make up Eastern Africa: Due to the historical ...

. The Masai giraffe can be found in central and southern

Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

and in

Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands and ...

. It has distinctive, irregular, jagged, star-like blotches that extend from the hooves to its head. The Masai giraffe is currently the national animal of Tanzania.

Taxonomy

The IUCN currently recognizes only one species of giraffe with nine subspecies The Masai giraffe was described and given the

binomial name In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

''Giraffa tippelskirchi'' by

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

zoologist Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the Animal, animal kingdom, including the anatomy, structure, embryology, evolution, Biological clas ...

Paul Matschie Paul Matschie Paul Matschie (11 August 1861, Brandenburg an der Havel – 7 March 1926, Friedenau) was a German zoologist. He studied mathematics and natural sciences at the Universities of Halle and Berlin, afterwards working as an unpaid v ...

in 1898, but current taxonomy refers to Masai giraffe as ''Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi''. The Masai giraffe was named in honor of Herr von Tippelskirch, who was a member of a German scientific expedition in

German East Africa German East Africa (GEA; german: Deutsch-Ostafrika) was a German colony in the African Great Lakes region, which included present-day Burundi, Rwanda, the Tanzania mainland, and the Kionga Triangle, a small region later incorporated into Mozam ...

to what is now northern Tanzania in 1896. Tippelskirch brought back the skin of a female Masai giraffe from near

Lake Eyasi Lake Eyasi (formerly german: Njarasasee, "Njarasa Lake", and ''Hohenlohesee'', "Hohenlohe Lake") is a lake located in Karatu District of Arusha Region in north Tanzania. Lake Eyasi is the largest body of water in Arusha region. It is a seasonal ...

which was later on identified as ''Giraffa tippelskirchi''. Alternative taxonomic hypotheses have proposed Masai giraffe may be its own species.

Description

The Masai giraffe is distinguished by jagged and irregular spots on its body. Its geographic range includes various parts of eastern Africa. It is the largest-bodied giraffe species, making it the tallest land animal on Earth. Bulls are generally larger and heavier than cows, weighing close to 1,300 kilograms (2,900 pounds) and growing up to 5.5 meters (18 feet) in height. In the wild, individuals can live to be around 30 years of age, and in most cases can live longer in captivity. The Masai giraffe's most famous feature, its neck, contains seven

vertebrae The spinal column, a defining synapomorphy shared by nearly all vertebrates,Hagfish are believed to have secondarily lost their spinal column is a moderately flexible series of vertebrae (singular vertebra), each constituting a characteristic i ...

and makes up roughly one third of its body height. Its long and muscular tongue, which can be up to 50 centimeters (20 inches) in length, is prehensile and allows it to grab leaves from tall trees that are inaccessible to other animals. The tongue's darker pigment is believed to function as a natural sunscreen and prevent sunburn. On top of the head are two bony structures called

ossicones Ossicones are columnar or conical skin-covered bone structures on the heads of giraffes, male okapi, and some of their extinct relatives. Ossicones are distinguished from the superficially similar structures of horns and antlers by their uniqu ...

which are covered by thick skin and have dark hair on the tips. These can be used during fights to club its opponent. Bulls usually have an extra ossicone present between the eyes. When galloping the Masai giraffe has been recorded to reach speeds of almost 64 kilometers per hour (40 miles per hour).

Conservation

Masai giraffes are considered

endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inva ...

by the

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...

, and the Masai giraffe population declined 52% in recent decades due to poaching and habitat loss. The population amounts to 32,550 in the wild. Demographic studies of wild giraffes living inside and outside protected areas suggest low adult survival outside protected areas due to poaching and low calf survival inside protected areas due to predation; these are the primary influences on population growth rates. Survival of giraffe calves is influenced by the season of birth and the seasonal local presence or absence of long-distance migratory herds of wildebeest and zebra. Metapopulation analysis indicated protected areas were important for keeping giraffes in the larger landscape. ''In situ'' conservation of Masai giraffes is being done by several government agencies, including the

Kenya Wildlife Service Kenya Wildlife Service is a state corporation under the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife established by an act of Parliament; Wildlife Conservation and Management Act CAP 376, of 1989, now repealed and replaced by the Wildlife Conservation and Ma ...

, Tanzania National Parks, Zambia Wildlife Authority; and non-governmental organizations including PAMS Foundation and th
Wild Nature Institute
Community-based wildlife conservation areas have also been shown to be effective at protecting giraffes. Over 100 Masai giraffe live under human care in

AZA Aza or AZA may refer to: Places *Aza, Azerbaijan, a village and municipality *Azadkənd, Nakhchivan or Lower Aza, Azerbaijan *Aza, medieval name of Haza, Province of Burgos, Spain *Aźa, a Tibetan name for the Tuyuhun kingdom *Aza, a Hebrew roman ...

accredited zoos in the United States. At several zoos, Masai giraffe cows have become pregnant and successfully given birth. Masai giraffes can suffer from giraffe skin disease, which is a disorder of unknown etiology that causes lesion on the forelimbs. This disorder is being further investigated to better understand mortality in this species.

Gallery

File:Masai Giraffe, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania (2010).jpg, Masai giraffe in

Serengeti National Park The Serengeti National Park is a large national park in northern Tanzania that stretches over . It is located entirely in eastern Mara Region and north east portion of Simiyu Region and contains over of virgin savanna. The park was established in ...

, Tanzania File:Maasai Giraffe 07.JPG, Detail of head, taken at

Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is the sixth oldest zoo in the United States, founded in 1873 and officially opening in 1875. It is located in the Avondale neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio. It originally began with in the middle of the c ...

File:Giraffes Mikumi National Park.jpg, Two Masai giraffes in

Mikumi National Park Mikumi National Park is a national park near Morogoro, Tanzania with an area of that was established in 1964. It is the fourth largest in the country. The park is crossed by Tanzania's A-7 highway. Territory Mikumi National Park borders Sel ...

File:Young Maasai Giraffes.jpg, Two week-old Masai giraffes in Serengeti, Tanzania File:Giraffe close up.jpg, Close up of giraffe face in

Masai Mara Maasai Mara, also sometimes spelled Masai Mara and locally known simply as The Mara, is a large national game reserve in Narok, Kenya, contiguous with the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. It is named in honor of the Maasai people, the ancest ...

File:Maasai Giraffe in the plains of Maasai Mara.jpg, Maasai giraffe in the plain of Maasai Mara File:Male Maasai Giraffe.jpg, Male Maasai giraffe

References

External links