Nine Subspecies (name, location, population)

  • West African Giraffe (G. c. peralta) - Niger and Nigeria.  Rectangular spots and cream-colour lines are wide.     In 1990s - population was 50, population (2018) 607

  • Kordofan Giraffe (G. c. antiquorum) - Central Africa - Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo and South Sudan.   Pale with irregular shapes, surrounded by very wide, whitish outlines.      In 1980s - population was 3,700, in 2018 - population 2,000.

  • Nubian Giraffe (G. c. camelopardalis) - Eastern Africa - Ethiopia, South Sudan.  Chestnut brown and well defined spots that end at the hocks.     In 1980s - population was 20,577, in 2018 - population 650.   

  • Reticulated Giraffe (G. c. reticulata) - Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia.   Large reddish-brown spots with clear edges separated by a thin white 'network' of lines.    In 1990s - population was 36,000 to 47,750, in 2018 - population 15,782

  • Masai Giraffe (G. c. tippelskirchi) - Kenya and Tanzania.  Dark leaf or star shaped spots with irregular edges and darker areas between spots than most subspecies.     In 1970s - population was 66,449, in 2018 - population 50,000

  • Rothschild's Giraffe (G. c. rothschildi) - Kenya and Uganda.   Usually dark rectangular smooth edge spots, although some have irregular sides, separated by cream-coloured spaces.     In 1960s - population was 1,330, in 2018 - population 2,000

  • Thornicroft's Giraffe (G. c. thornicrofti) - Luangwa Valley of Zambia.   Dark, irregular leaf spots most often with jagged edges, separated by creamy white background     In 1980s - population was 600, in 2018 - population 600

  •  Angolan Giraffe (G. c. angolensis).   Angola, Namibia and Botswana.   Some translocated to South Africa.  Light colored spots with relatively smooth or slightly saw-like edges separated by very pale cream color.   In 1980s - population was 5,000, in 2018 - population 14,533

  • South African Giraffe (G. c. giraffa).   South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Botswana.  Similar spot pattern to the Angolan giraffe but a darker color.  In the late 1970s - population was 8,000; in 2016, population estimate was 21,387.