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Maasai Giraffe

Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi

Photo by July Llanes
Published on Project Noah
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Field Notes

Description:

The Masai Giraffe or Maasai Giraffe, also known as the Kilimanjaro Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi) is the largest subspecies of giraffe and the tallest land mammal. It is found in Kenya and Tanzania.

The Maasai Giraffe has jagged spots on its body. It also has a short tassel of hair on its tail. The bony outgrowths of the male's skull superficially provide the appearance of up to 5 ossicones. The dominant male's spots tend to be darker in colour than those of other members of its herd.

Adult males usually reach around 6 m in height—although they have been recorded at reaching heights of up to approximately 6.5 m—and females tend to be a bit shorter at around 5–5.5 m tall. Their legs and necks are both approximately 2 m long, and their heart has a mass of roughly 12 kg (25 lb).

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Comments (3)

Very lovely juvenile in the second shot. Great sequence. Thanks for sharing.
Beautiful.... You've gotta love Giraffes
Photographed
PublishedJanuary 26, 2012

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