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The giraffe is the largest living terrestrial and ruminant animal. The genus currently consists of one species, Giraffa camelopardalis, with seven other species being extinct. However, the IUCN currently recognizes 9 subspecies Giraffes are known and recognized by their long neck and legs, as well as their distinctive coat pattern. They are found in the African continent as North as Chad and as South as South Africa, and as East as Somalia and West as Niger. There is an estimated total of 90,000 giraffes in the wild currently, with 1,144 in captivity.

The diet of all giraffes consists mainly of leaves, and fruits and flowers of woody plants that are dispersed throughout the savannah s and woodland s the giraffes inhabit. Lions, leopards, spotted hyenas, and African wild dogs are the natural predators of giraffes. They are gregarious by nature, living in herds of related females and their offspring, while the males form their own bachelor herds. Within the bachelor herds, males establish social hierarchies through bouts of combat referred to as necking. The animals use their necks as a weapon, with the winner gaining mating access to females.

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Recently, a pair of white giraffes was spotted in Kenya, near a conservation area. White giraffes are rarely spotted in the wild, with only two previous sighting having been confirmed – one in Kenya, and one in Tanzania. Typically, reports of atypically coloured giraffes encompass either a brown individual born without spots or white individuals that are often thought to be albino. The two conditions are similar in that they result in white in color individual. However, albinism is a congenital disorder that compromises the production of melatonin and results in the individual having red eyes. Leucism, on the other hand, results in only a partial loss of pigmentation and often does not affect the eyes. Although often mistaken for albinism, the two are different conditions and can be distinguished by observing the eye color of the individual and whether or not the animal has retained its species-specific coat pattern.

Albinism
Albinism is an inherited genetic condition that reduces the production of melanin pigment the body produces. Its effects are most noticeable in the skin, hair, and/or eyes. It can occur in every animal species, as they all make melanin. However, animals with albinism fair poor in the wild as they lost their ability to easily fit in with their surroundings. Albinism is observed in about one of every 1000 mammal births.

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Leucism
Unlike albinism, where no melanin is produced, leucism is caused by reduction in multiple types of pigment, not just melanin. It results in either the entire surface or patches of body surface lacking cells that are capable of making pigment. A more common form of leucism is localized or incomplete hypopigmentation. It results in irregular patches of white on an animal but does not affect the rest of the coloring. It is often referred to as the “piebald” effect. Genes that caused leucism when mutated include c-kit, mitf , and EDNRB.

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