Reticulated giraffes (Giraffa reticulata) in Samburu National Reserve, Kenya

Four giraffe species officially recognised in major conservation reclassification – IUCN report

A groundbreaking assessment has officially recognised four distinct giraffe species, overturning previous classifications of the world’s tallest land mammal as a single species. The taxonomic review, undertaken by the IUCN Species Survival Commission’s Giraffe and Okapi Specialist Group (GOSG) Taxonomic Task Force, marks a major milestone in the giraffe taxonomy and reshapes how giraffe diversity is understood and conserved. Historically, giraffe (Giraffa spp.) have been classified as a single species with nine subspecies, but they have long been the subject of taxonomic uncertainty. In response to growing scientific evidence and the urgent need for clearer conservation planning, the GOSG launched a Taxonomic Task Force in 2024 to comprehensively review the latest genetic, morphological and biogeographical data...

Read more: https://iucn.org/press-release/202508/four-giraffe-species-officially-recognised-major-conservation-reclassification

Northern Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis)

West African giraffe (G. c. peralta)

Kordofan giraffe (G. c. antiquorum)

Nubian giraffe (G. c. camelopardalis)

Reticulated Giraffe (Giraffa reticulata)

Masai Giraffe (Giraffa tippelskirchi)

Masai giraffe (G. t. tippelskirchi)

Luangwa/Thornicroft’s giraffe (G. t. thornicrofti)

Southern Giraffe (Giraffa giraffa)

South African giraffe (G. g. giraffa)

Angolan giraffe (G. g. angolensis)

Read the paper here:

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