Reticulated Giraffe with Neck Bent

DownloadFree Giraffe Pictures - An adult Reticulated Giraffe with it's neck bent straight out as it reaches over a fence to get some leaves. Giraffes' long necks allow them to eat from higher canopies of trees where they have little or no competion for food. Their long legs (the front legs are longer than the back) also help them reach high leaves and give them good views of the surrounding area to watch for predators. Other than man, lions are the only real predatory threat to giraffes in the wild.

Two Reticulated Giraffe Adults

DownloadFree Giraffe Pictures - Two Reticulated or Somali Giraffe adults at the Denver Zoo, walking in a line from right to left. Each giraffe has it's head up and you can see their distinctive spot markings and horns or . In the background is one of the young baby giraffe recently born at the zoo. Most giraffe adults weigh between 2,600 to 1,800 lbs (1,200-830 kgs) and range in hieght from 14-17 ft (4.3-5.2 m).

2 Giraffes 2

DownloadDescription: A young giraffe and its mother at the Albuquerque Zoo, standing in the sun.

Reticulated Giraffe in Front of Rocks

DownloadAn adult giraffe Crossing in front of a pile of rocks. This giraffe, seen at the Denver Zoo, is a Reticulted or Somali Giraffe (), one of 7-9 subspecies (depending on classification) and the most popularly seen or photgraphed. Another adult female with her baby stand in the background partially obscured by rocks. Although in captivity these subspecies can interbreed, genetic research shows that naturally they are separate species and that some subspecies are down to less than a 100 animals.

2 Giraffes

DownloadDescription: Frontal view of a young giraffe at the Albuquerque Zoo, its mother standing beside on the edge of the photo.

Reticulated Giraffe Profile

DownloadThisis a great profile of an adult Reticulated Giraffe walking at the Denver Zoo. It's distinctive large polygon shaped spots are clearly seen. These spots are unique to each individual just like fingerprints for humans and researchers can use spot patterns to track specific giraffe in the wild.

Reticulated Giraffe Juvenile Looking Away

DownloadA young Somali or Reticulated Giraffe with it's head up and looking away. Another baby giraffe is standing behind and and eating leaves from under the fence. Both of these babies, born at the Denver Zoo, are only a few months old but are already over 6 feet tall.

Reticulated Giraffe Juvenile

DownloadThis juvenile giraffe standing by a fence is actually a baby about 3 or 4 months old. It looks much bigger than the newer baby which can be seen behind it with its head just reaching under the fence because Reticulated Giraffes usually grow about 9 inches in the first month alone. You can just see the horns or the "ossicones" on his head. Giraffes are the only mammals born with horns.