The Rothschild Giraffe is also referred to as the Uganda Giraffe or the Baringo Giraffe. It is the tallest giraffe in the world and the tallest animal as well. A fully grown Rothschild giraffe can weigh up to 2800 pounds and measure up to 20 feet (6 meters) in height. The males are often much heavier than the females.

Apart from their height, the Rothschild giraffes have a few other features that make them different and unique compared to other giraffes.

Rothschild giraffes have five horns. Two where other giraffes have their horns on top of their heads, two behind their ears, and one in the center of their foreheads.

The coloring of their coat is also different from that of other giraffes. The coat of the Rothschild giraffes has dark patches and creamy white channels running between the dark patches. These markings actually are somewhat like leopard skin markings. The coat markings of each giraffe are as unique to it as a fingerprint is to a human being.

The Rothschild giraffe also has no markings on the lower leg, giving it an impression of wearing white socks.

Because of their height and gangly appearance one would expect Rothschild giraffes to be slow and clumsy especially when you see them walk slowly through the savannah; but that is not the case. These giraffes are quite steady and fast. They are one of the fastest species of animals and can reach a top speed of about 56km/hr (35mph) when running across open ground. When travelling longer distances they can move at about 16km/hour (10mph).

They also have very long tongues reaching an average of 45.6cm. Giraffes are browsing animals which use their huge necks and their long and mobile tongues to strip the leaves and bark from trees on the African savannah. They also graze and have a series of special valves and a complicated network of elastic blood vessels in the neck, not only to prevent the animal from passing out when it bends down to drink or graze, but also to ensure that the blood is successfully pumped along its long neck to the brain.

Amazingly giraffes can go for months without drinking liquid water. They can instead get water into their bodies from leaves that they eat. You can often find them nibbling on leaves from trees such as the acacia tree in the savannah. They get water through these leaves. Now we know why their heads are always up in the upmost branches of trees.