Some scientists have long presumed today's giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis, right), which includes a handful of subspecies scattered throughout sub-Saharan Africa, evolved from an animal that looked like its close cousin the okapi (Okapia johnstoni, left), which lives in the tropical forests of central Africa.
Are giraffes related to cows?
artiodactyl, any member of the mammalian order Artiodactyla, or even-toed ungulates, which includes pigs, peccaries, hippopotamuses, camels, chevrotains, deer, giraffes, pronghorn, antelopes, sheep, goats, and cattle.
What animals are in the giraffe family?
Giraffidaegiraffes and okapis. This family includes only two living species, the giraffe and the okapi. These two very different animals are restricted to subSaharan Africa. Giraffids are large (okapis) to huge (giraffes); weights range from around 250 kg to over 1500 kg.
What are the 4 species of a giraffe?
But through the most comprehensive study of these animals to date, researchers uncovered data suggesting giraffes should be categorized into four distinct species: northern giraffe, southern giraffe, Masai giraffe and reticulated giraffe.
Is a giraffe related to a horse?
Originally Answered: Are giraffes related to horses? Not very closely; all hoofed mammals share a more recent common ancestor with one another than with, say, us, but giraffes are about as distantly relared to horses as two ungulate species can be.
What animals are in the same family as a giraffe?
The only close relative of the giraffe is the okapi (Okapia johnstoni). The okapi has a similar body shape as a giraffe, however, with a much shorter neck relative to its body size.
Is an okapi a cross between a giraffe and a zebra?
Okapis look like a cross between zebras and giraffes. In fact, it is the only living relative to the giraffe. In addition to long necks, okapis have reddish bodies, black-and-white striped legs and 12-inch, purple, prehensile tongues. The okapi's gestation period is between 14 and 15 months.11 Jul 2009