The Masai giraffe (Giraffa tippelskirchi, also spelled Maasai giraffe, and sometimes called the Kilimanjaro giraffe, is a species or subspecies of giraffe. It is native to East Africa. The Masai giraffe can be found in central and southern Kenya and in Tanzania and Uganda. It has distinctive jagged, irregular leaf-like blotches that extend from the hooves to its head. The Masai giraffe is currently the national animal of Tanzania.
The IUCN currently recognizes only one species of giraffe with nine subspecies The Masai giraffe was described and given the binomial name Giraffa tippelskirchi by German zoologist Paul Matschie in 1898, but current taxonomy refers to Masai giraffe as Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi. The Masai giraffe was named in honor of Herr von Tippelskirch, who was a member of a German scientific expedition in German East Africa to what is now northern Tanzania in 1896. Tippelskirch brought back the skin of a female Masai giraffe from near Lake Eyasi which was later on identified as Giraffa tippelskirchi. Alternative taxonomic hypotheses have proposed Masai giraffe may be its own species.
The Masai giraffe is distinguished by jagged and irregular spots on its body. Its geographic range includes various parts of eastern Africa. It is the largest-bodied giraffe species, making it the tallest land animal on Earth. Bulls are generally larger and heavier than cows, weighing close to 1,300 kilograms (2,900 pounds) and growing up to 5.5 meters (18 feet) in height. In the wild, individuals can live to be around 30 years of age, and in most cases can live longer in captivity. The Masai giraffe's most famous feature, its neck, contains seven vertebrae and makes up roughly one third of its body height. Its long and muscular tongue, which can be up to 50 centimeters (20 inches) in length, is prehensile and allows it to grab leaves from tall trees that are inaccessible to other animals. The tongue's darker pigment is believed to function as a natural sunscreen and prevent sunburn. On top of the head are two bony structures called ossicones which are covered by thick skin and have dark hair on the tips. These can be used during fights to club its opponent. Bulls usually have an extra ossicone present between the eyes. When galloping, the Masai giraffe has been recorded to reach speeds of almost 64 kilometers per hour (40 miles per hour).
