The giraffe is a long-necked, hooved mammal native to the open forests of sub-Saharan Africa. The Giraffe is the tallest living animal on land and despite its height is usually closely related to the much smaller and solitary Okapi, which lives elusively in the dense tropical forests. There are nine recognized subspecies of giraffes that occur in different geographic locations and vary slightly in the color and pattern of their spot-like markings.