Giraffe, of any of four species in the genus giraffa of long-necked cud-chewing hoofed mammals of africa, with long legs and a coat pattern of irregular brown patches on a light background. giraffes are the tallest of all land animals; males bulls may exceed 5.5 metres, 18 feet in height, and the tallest females cows are about 4.5 metres. using prehensile tongues almost half a metre long, they are able to browse foliage almost six metres from the ground.