Somali Giraffe

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Somali Giraffe
Conservation status
LR
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Artiodactyla Family: Giraffidae Genus: Giraffa Species: G. camelopardalis Subspecies: G. c. reticulata
Trinomial name
Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata
Range map in red

The Somali Giraffe or Reticulated Giraffe, Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata, is a subspecies of giraffe native to Somalia, but is also widely found in Northern Kenya, and Southern Ethiopia. Reticulated giraffes can interbreed with other giraffe subspecies in captivity or if populations are low in the wild.

The reticulated giraffe is the most well-known of the nine giraffe subspecies, and is by far the giraffe most commonly seen in zoos. Its 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 giraffes and native north-eastern Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia. The extraordinary height of giraffes allows them to feed from the branches of trees that other hoofed animals can't reach.

[edit] References

• Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Giraffe Cam
• Saint Louis Zoo, Reticulated Giraffe
• The BIG zoo
• Saint Louis Zoo Article