They\u2019re one of Africa\u2019s most recognisable animals.<\/p>\n
But it turns out we\u2019ve been getting giraffes all wrong.<\/p>\n
Scientists have revealed that there are actually four species of giraffe, not one as previously thought.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s break it down.<\/p>\n
Northern, reticulated, Masai and Southern giraffes<\/p>\n
A Northern giraffe. (Michael Brown\/IUCN via AP)<\/p>\n
The giraffe species are detailed in a scientific paper released by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and based on new data and genetic studies.<\/p>\n
The species identified are Northern giraffes, reticulated giraffes, Masai giraffes and Southern giraffes.<\/p>\n
Northern giraffes \u2014 whose range includes parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan and the Central African Republic \u2014 face threats from political instability and poaching. They are the most endangered giraffe specie, with only about 7,000 individuals left in the wild.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
A Masai giraffe. (Michael Brown\/IUCN via AP)<\/p>\n
“It’s one of the most threatened large mammals in the world,” said Stephanie Fennessy at the nonprofit Giraffe Conservation Foundation, who helped in the research.<\/p>\n
Masai giraffes in Kenya and Tanzania face pressure from habitat loss, as open savannas are converted to cattle pastures and fields.<\/p>\n
Southern giraffes are the most populous species, with around 69,000 individuals. There are around 21,000 reticulated giraffes left in the wild, and 44,000 Masai giraffes, according to the foundation.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
A southern giraffe. (Michael Brown\/IUCN via AP)<\/p>\n
Why does this matter?<\/p>\n
Naming different giraffes matters because “each species has different population sizes, threats and conservation needs,” said Michael Brown, a researcher in Windhoek, Namibia, who led the assessment.<\/p>\n
“When you lump giraffes all together, it muddies the narrative.”<\/p>\n
“If not all giraffes are the same, then we have to protect them individually,” added Ms Fennessy.<\/p>\n
Considering four giraffe species “is absolutely the right decision, and it’s long overdue,” said Stuart Pimm, a Duke University ecologist.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
A reticulated giraffe. ((Michael Brown\/IUCN via AP))<\/p>\n
It’s all about genes, not spots<\/p>\n
While in the past researchers scrutinised giraffes’ spots to assign species, the new categories were based off genetic analysis.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Over the past 20 years, scientists have gathered genetic samples from more than 2,000 giraffes across Africa to study the differences, said Fennessy.<\/p>\n
It used to cost tens of thousands of dollars to sequence each genome, but advances in technology have brought the cost down to about $100, making it more accessible to nonprofit and conservation groups, she said.<\/p>\n
They have also analysed anatomical differences in skull shape.<\/p>\n
What appear like horns sticking up from the foreheads of giraffes are actually permanent bony protrusions from the skull, different from deer antlers that are shed annually.<\/p>\n
The studies have highlighted significant differences between the four species, said Brown, a researcher in Namibia, who led the assessment.<\/p>\n
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