Giraffidae facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Giraffidae Temporal range: Miocene - Recent
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Family:	Giraffidae Gray, 1821
Species
Okapia Okapia johnstoni Giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis

Giraffidae is a family of mammals, in the order of the even-toed ungulates. The family has two living species, the Giraffe and the Okapi.

Taxonomy

• Family Giraffidae
  • Giraffe, Giraffa camelopardalis
  • Okapi, Okapia johnstoni

Habitat

The Giraffe and the Okapi both live in Africa, south of the Sahara Desert. The Giraffe lives in open savannas, while the Okapi lives in the rainforests of the Congo.

Appearance

Both animals have long necks and legs and long blue tongues. Male and female Giraffes and male Okapis have small horn-like stumps on their head which are covered with skin.

Giraffes are the tallest animal living on land, with a height of over 5 metres. Okapis are smaller, only up to 2 metres tall.

Images for kids

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  Shansitherium and Palaeotragus microdon, two giraffids from the Miocene of Asia

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  Skeletal illustration of Helladotherium, now extinct

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  Skeletal mount of Palaeotragus on display at the Tianjin Natural History Museum.

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  Skeletal mount of Shansitherium tafeli on display at the Beijing Museum of Natural History.

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  Two giraffes

See also

In Spanish: Jiráfidos para niños