
Home < Safari site map < Samburu info < Reticulated Giraffes > Grevy's Zebra

Reticulated Giraffe,

Samburu Complex

As well as the Gerenuk, the Samburu complex (including Lewa Downs) has some other mammal specialities, including a very handsome sub-species of Giraffe - the Reticulated Giraffe.
The Reticulated Giraffe is a lovely liver colour, with large patches separated, as its name suggests, by a reticulation of pale cream lines. The male is darker than the female, and generally get darker as they get older.
The photos on the left show some pre-copulatory behaviour. The male, always after the main chance, is sniffing the female's urine to see if she's ready to mate. In the lower picture he is shown in the typical lip-curling pose known as flehmen.

Male Reticulated Giraffe working out if a female is ready for mating (22k*)

The flehmen grimace for testing a female's urine for sexual receptiveness - it has been likened to the correct way to 'taste' wine! (24k*)


Home Page	Safari Index	Grevy's Zebra	Tribal village	Samburu Info	Shaba


Text and images © Liz Leyden, 2008 Email: liz [at] v-liz [dot] com May be used for non-profit personal or educational purposes only. Don't hotlink to my images.	Many of my best African images are available royalty-free, exclusively at