giraffe vs plains zebra

Giraffa camelopardalis compared with Equus quagga

Key Differences

• giraffe is Vulnerable while plains zebra is Near Threatened.
• giraffe is 3.4x heavier than plains zebra.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	giraffe	plains zebra
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (cordados)	Chordata (cordados)
Class same	Mammalia (mamíferos)	Mammalia (mamíferos)
Order	Artiodactyla (Artiodátilos)	Perissodactyla (perissodáctilos)
Family	Giraffidae (Giraffes)	Equidae (Horses & Zebras)
Genus	Giraffa (Giraffes)	Equus (Horses & Zebras)
Species	Giraffa camelopardalis	Equus quagga

Evolutionary Relationship

giraffe and plains zebra share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (mamíferos)

Conservation Status

giraffe

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~117.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

plains zebra

NT — Near Threatened

Population: ~750.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	giraffe	plains zebra
Diet	Herbivore	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	25 years	25 years
Average Length	5.5 m	2.3 m
Average Weight	1.2 t	350.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

giraffe

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and flooded grasslands and savannas, among 5 distinct biome types within the Neotropic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Found in Ecuador. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

plains zebra

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, and flooded grasslands and savannas, among 5 distinct biome types within the Afrotropic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Botswana, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa, and Tanzania. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

giraffe

A girafa (Giraffa camelopardalis) é o animal terrestre mais alto da Terra, podendo atingir 5,5 metros de altura e pesar até 1.750 kg. Seu pescoço alongado, contendo as mesmas sete vértebras cervicais de todos os mamíferos, evoluiu para se alimentar de acácias nas savanas e bosques africanos. Animal social que vive em manadas soltas sem vínculos permanentes, comunica-se por infrassons e linguagem corporal. Vulnerável, com populações em declínio devido à perda de habitat e à caça ilegal.

plains zebra

O equideo selvagem mais numeroso, as zebras-das-planices habitam pastagens e savanas do leste e sul da Africa em manadas que variam de pequenos grupos familiares a vastas agregacoes. Seus padroes de listras preto-e-brancas ousados sao unicos para cada individuo e podem servir para confundir predadores, deter insetos picadores e facilitar o reconhecimento individual. As zebras formam presa chave para leoes, hienas e crocodilos, sustentando as cadeias alimentares da savana.