- Masai Giraffe
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Maasai Giraffe 
Adult female, Mikumi National Park, Tanzania Conservation status Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Artiodactyla Family: Giraffidae Genus: Giraffa Species: G. camelopardalis Subspecies: G. c. tippelskirchi Trinomial name Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi
Matschie, 1898
Maasai Giraffe range 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.
Description
The Masai Giraffe has jagged spots on it's body. It also has a short tassel of hair on its tail. Giraffes do not have true horns, the bony outgrowths on the top of their heads are instead called "ossicones". True horns have a bony core surrounded by a protein layer called keratin (the same substance our fingernails are made from). In contrast, an ossicone is a bony growth covered with a thin layer of skin. 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.
Two Masai Giraffes in Mikumi National Park
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).
Behaviour
There is no seasonal breeding season for the Maasai Giraffe, and females can get pregnant from the age of 4. They also give birth standing up. It takes 2–6 hours for a giraffe to be born. About 50–75% of the calves die in their first few months due to predation. Even though many calves die, the mother will try to stab predators such as hyenas or lions with its sharp hooves. This action may injure or kill a predator quickly; the Maasai Giraffe's kick is strong enough to crush a lion's skull or shatter its spine.
External links
Media related to Masai Giraffes at Wikimedia Commons
Data related to Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi at Wikispecies
Categories:- IUCN Red List conservation dependent species
- Giraffes
- Mammals of Kenya
- Mammals of Africa
- Fauna of Tanzania
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