So now we four species of Giraffe. See this
article below.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Genetic research on the
world's tallest land animal has found that there are four distinct species of
giraffe, not just one as long believed, with two of them at alarmingly low
population levels.
Scientists
on Thursday unveiled a comprehensive genetic analysis of giraffes using DNA
from 190 of the towering herbivores from across their range in Africa.
The study identified the
four separate species as: the southern giraffe (Giraffa giraffa), with a
population of 52,000; the Masai giraffe (Giraffa tippelskirchi), with 32,500;
the reticulated giraffe (Giraffa reticulata), with 8,700; and the northern
giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis), with 4,750.
Happy birding,
Shailesh