The family Giraffidae are of ruminant mammals that are related with cervids and bovids. This family, once a diverse group spread throughout Eurasia and Africa, presently comprises only two extant genera, (1) genus Giraffa with one species giraffe and (2) genus Okapia with one species okapi. These animals are both found in sub-Sarharan Africa. The giraffe lives in the open savannas and the okapi prefers the dense rain forest of the Congo.

The species of these two genera look extremely different on first sight, but they do share a number of common features, including a long dark colored lounge, lobed canine teeth and horns covered in skin called ossicones.

The family Giraffidae are of ruminant mammals that are related with cervids and bovids. This family, once a diverse group spread throughout Eurasia and Africa, presently comprises only two extant genera, (1) genus Giraffa with one species giraffe and (2) genus Okapia with one species okapi.

The giraffe is a large African hoofed mammel and is the tallest living terrestrial animal as well as the largest ruminant on Earth. The Giraffe camelopardalis has nine subspecies, but recent research has the genus divided into eight separate species. There is seven other extinct species known from the fossil record.

The okapi is also known as the forest giraffe, Copngolese giraffe and the zebra girraffe. It is an artiodactyl mammal which is endemic to the northeast Democratic Republic of the Congo in central Africa.

Although the okapi has stripes closely resembling the zebras, it is most closely related to the giraffe and the only living members of the family Giraffidae.