Giraffes, long treated as a single species, should be split into four, according to a new assessment by scientists working with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Researchers compared skull size and head shape alongside genetic data and concluded that Southern, Reticulated, Northern and Masai giraffes show enough divergence to qualify as separate species. Natural barriers such as the Kunene and Zambezi rivers, Lake Victoria, the Nile and highland ranges likely limited interbreeding and drove separate evolution across Africa.
Ranges identified in the assessment include:
• Southern giraffe: South Africa, Angola, southern Botswana, Namibia, southern Zimbabwe, Zambia and southwestern Mozambique.
• Reticulated giraffe: Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia.
• Northern giraffe: western Ethiopia, central and western Kenya, eastern South Sudan and Uganda.
• Masai giraffe: Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
While coat patterns can vary even within a single population and with age, the team says genetic and morphological differences underpin the split. “The more precisely we understand giraffe taxonomy, the better equipped we are to assess their status and implement effective conservation strategies,” said co-author Michael Brown of the IUCN.
As one species, giraffes were listed as Vulnerable to extinction. The IUCN will now reassess the risk status of each of the four species and their subspecies, aiming to target protections more effectively.