Giraffe, or CAMELOPARD (Camelopardalis Giraffa; giraffa, the Spanish name, being derived from the Arabic zardaf, and that, apparently, from the Egyptian soraphé, 'long neck'), the tallest of quadrupeds, ranked by some naturalists among deer (Cervidæ), but more properly regarded as constituting a distinct family of ruminants, which contains, however, only one species. It is a native of Africa, south of the Sahara. It occurs generally in small herds of from five to forty. It feeds on the leaves and small branches of trees. Its general aspect is remarkable from the height of the foreparts and great elongation of the neck, the head being sometimes 18 feet from the ground. The number of vertebrae in the neck, however (seven), is not greater than in other quadrupeds, and it has no extraordinary flexibility, although its form and movements are very graceful. The body is short, and the back slopes from the shoulder to the tail; yet the greater height of the foreparts is not entirely owing to the greater length of the fore-legs, but to the neural processes of the vertebrae, which form a basis for the support of the neck and head. The articulation of the skull to the upper lip entire, projecting far beyond the nostrils, and endowed with considerable muscular power. The tongue is remarkably capable of elongation, and is an organ of touch and of prehension, like the trunk of an elephant; it can be thrust far out of the mouth, and employed to grasp and take up even very small objects; it is said that its tip can be so tapered as to enter the ring of a very small key. The usefulness of such an organ for drawing in leaves and branchlets to the mouth is obvious. The giraffe adroitly picks off the leaves of acacias and other thorny plants, without taking the thorns into its mouth. The dentition of the giraffe agrees with that of antelopes, sheep, goats, and oxen; the upper jaw of the male is destitute of the canine teeth which are present in the male of most kinds of deer.
The head is furnished with two remarkable protuberances between the ears, generally described as horns, but very different from the horns of other animals, and each consisting of a bone united to the skull by an obvious suture, permanent, covered with skin and hair, and terminated by long hard bristles. These long outgrowths may correspond to the long core of the antelope's horn or to the pedicel of the antler in the deer. There is also a projection on the forehead. The ears are moderately long; the tail is long, and terminates in a tuft of long hair. There is a callosity on the breast. The neck has a very short mane. The hair is short and smooth; the colour is a reddish-white, marked by numerous dark rusty spots. Its nostrils have a muscle by which they can be closed; a provision, as Owen supposes, for excluding particles of sand. It is an inoffensive animal, and generally seeks safety, if possible, in flight, although it is capable of making a stout resistance, and is said to beat off the lion. It fights by kicking with its hind-legs, discharging a storm of kicks with extraordinary rapidity. It is not easily overtaken even by a fleet horse, and has greatly the advantage of a horse on uneven and broken ground. Its pace is described as an amble, the legs of the same side moving at the same time. The giraffe was known to the ancients, and was exhibited in Roman spectacles. Representations of it appear among Egyptian antiquities. It has been supposed to be the zemer of the Jews, translated chamois in the English Bible (Deut. xiv. 5). In the year 1836 giraffes were first added to the collection in the gardens of the Zoological Society of London, and since that year numerous specimens have been acquired which have bred in the gardens. They are fed chiefly on hay placed in high racks, greatly enjoy carrots and onions, and a lump of sugar is a favourite delicacy. The flesh of the giraffe is said to be pleasant, and its marrow is a favourite African delicacy.