Giraffes are a large, antelope-related herbivore of Africa.
Adults stand up to 18 feet tall, and they have great difficulty standing up if they lie down, and may never lie on their sides after their birth.
They are so tall that when young are born the newborns drop about 6 feet to the ground.
Giraffes have huge hearts, very high blood pressure, and extremely strong arteries in their necks, which help pump blood to their elevated brains.
Their “horns” are analogous to the horn cores of other species. Covered with skin and hair, they are used in fighting among giraffes, mostly males.
The animals have long been seen as a symbol to Europeans of exotic Africa. They appear in ancient European beastiaries.
The taxonomy of giraffes is in flux. Currently there a are between one and four species recognized. When recognizing one species, most authorizes also recognize 9 subspecies.
There are studies that find evidence for up to 8 full species, while others look at that same data and suggest there are only three species with several populations or subspecies.
All giraffes populations are endangered.
The closest living relative of the giraffe is the okapi, a secretive forest species not described by western science until 1901. There is, however ad Ancient Greek reference to a gift from the King of Ethiopia that may have been an okapi.
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