While historically assumed to be one species, recent findings of the Giraffe Conservation Foundation and our partners have clearly shown that there are four distinct species of giraffe with seven subspecies. All four giraffe species and their subspecies occupy distinct geographic regions within Africa. Although there have been reports of hybridization between some species in captivity, recent studies have shown that this is not the case in the wild.
- Masai giraffe Giraffa tippelskirchi
- Luangwa giraffe G. t. thornicrofti
- Masai giraffe G. t. tippelskirchi
- northern giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis
- Kordofan giraffe G. c. antiquorum
- Nubian giraffa G. c. chamelopardalis
- West African giraffe G. c. peralta
- reticulated giraffe Giraffa reticulata
- southern giraffe Giraffa giraffa
- Angolan giraffe G. g. angolensis
- South African giraffe G. g. giraffa
