User:Dherr623/Reticulated giraffe

The reticulated giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata or G. reticulata), also known as the Somali giraffe, is a subspecies or species of giraffe native to the Horn of Africa. It lives in Somalia, southern Ethiopia, and northern Kenya. There are approximately 8,500 individuals living in the wild.

Reticulated giraffes can interbreed with other giraffe species in captivity or if they come into contact with populations of other species in the wild.

Together with the Rothschild's giraffe, it is the giraffe most commonly seen in zoos. Its coat consists of large, polygonal, liver-colored spots outlined by a network of bright white lines. The blocks may sometimes appear deep red and may also cover the legs.

Ecology and Behavior
Reticulated Giraffes are herbivores browsing solely on woody vegetation from different trees depending on season. Primarily eating acacia leaves during warmer months and switching to evergreens during the colder months. They strip the leaves from trees with their long tounges leaving the shoots of the tree behind.

Habitat and Distribution
Reticulated giraffes historically occurred widely throughout Northeast Africa. Their favored habitats are savannas, woodlands, seasonal floodplains, and rainforests.

Taxonomy
The IUCN currently recognizes only one species of giraffe with nine subspecies, one of which is the reticulated giraffe. The Reticulated Giraffe is also strongly considered to be one of four separate specie of giraffe following its genome analysis. All living giraffes were originally classified as one species by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. The subspecies was described and given a binomial name Giraffa reticulata by British zoologist William Edward de Winton in 1899.

In captivity
Along with the Rothschild's giraffe, the reticulated giraffe is the most common giraffe found in zoos. The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs, Colorado is said to have the largest reticulated giraffe herd in North America. Reticulated and Rothschild's giraffes have been bred together in the past. This was done because it was thought that the giraffe subspecies interbred in the wild. However, research published in 2016 found that they do not. Nevertheless, some zoos are still interbreeding them.

A few zoos have distinct Rothschild's giraffe or reticulated giraffe herds. The San Diego Zoo Safari Park, Bronx Zoo, and Chester Zoo have solely Rothschild's giraffes. The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Busch Gardens Tampa, the Maryland Zoo, Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo, the Louisville Zoo, and the Binder Park Zoo have solely reticulated giraffes.