NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Southern Giraffe
Giraffa giraffa (von Schreber, 1784)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Angolan giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis angolensis) males, Etosha National Park, Namibia
Charles J. Sharp · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Image sourceProvider-generated thumbnail requested at 800 pixels; no local editing Local WebP display rendition; resized without cropping.
Open encyclopedia reference
The southern giraffe (Giraffa giraffa), also known as two-horned giraffe, is a species of giraffe native to Southern Africa. The IUCN recognises four giraffe species, with several recognised subspecies.
Southern giraffes have rounded or blotched spots, some with star-like extensions on a light tan background, running down to the hooves. They range from South Africa, Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique. Their approximate population is composed of 44,500 to 50,000 individuals.
Giraffes are considered Vulnerable to extinction by the IUCN.
Wikipedia contributors, Southern giraffe; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T05:22:20.984098+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Giraffa giraffa (von Schreber, 1784)
- Name authority
- (von Schreber, 1784)
- Common name
- Southern Giraffe
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammalia
- Order
- Artiodactyla
- Family
- Giraffidae
- Genus
- Giraffa
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classMammalia Linnaeus, 1758
- subclassTheria Parker & Haswell, 1897
- infraclassEutheria Gill, 1872
- orderArtiodactyla Owen, 1848
- familyGiraffidae Gray, 1821
- genusGiraffa Brisson, 1762
- speciesGiraffa giraffa (von Schreber, 1784)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Giraffa. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Reticulated GiraffeGiraffa reticulata de Winton, 1899 | GiraffidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| GiraffeGiraffa camelopardalis (Linnaeus, 1758) | GiraffidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Masai GiraffeGiraffa tippelskirchi Matschie, 1898 | GiraffidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Giraffa camelopardalis giraffa (von Schreber, 1784) (von Schreber, 1784) | synonym |
| Camelopardalis giraffa von Schreber, 1784 von Schreber, 1784 | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=1012246 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:3G3KP. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.