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Cape buffalo vs Giraffe

Cape buffalo vs giraffe
Giraffe is larger on weight
Giraffe is 1.8× Cape buffalo on weight.

A Cape buffalo and a giraffe can be compared on 4 measures. The figures below are typical adult or full-size values, with the larger of the two in bold.

Side by side

Larger value in bold. Ranges reflect genuine variation, not uncertainty.
Cape buffalo Giraffe
Weight 350–900 kg 700–1,930 kg
Height 1.3–1.7 m 4.3–5.9 m
Top speed 57 km/h 60 km/h
Typical lifespan 18–29 yr 20–28 yr

What the numbers say

  • Giraffe is 1.8× Cape buffalo on weight.
  • Giraffe is 3.3× Cape buffalo on height.
  • Cape buffalo and giraffe are near enough identical on top speed.
  • Giraffe is somewhat greater than Cape buffalo on typical lifespan — about 1.1×.

Weight compared.

Giraffe 700–1,930 kg
Cape buffalo 350–900 kg

Cape buffalo

A large, unpredictable African bovid whose fused horn bosses form a helmet across the skull.

Giraffe

The tallest living animal; its neck holds the same seven vertebrae as a human neck.

This is a comparison of published measurements, nothing more. It describes how two things differ on measures that have been recorded; it does not predict how they would fare against each other in any situation.

Common questions

Which is bigger, Cape buffalo or giraffe?
Giraffe is 1.8× Cape buffalo on weight. Both figures are typical values; the full range for each is in the table above.
How do Cape buffalos and giraffes compare on height?
Cape buffalo: 1.3–1.7 m. Giraffe: 4.3–5.9 m. Giraffe is 3.3× Cape buffalo on height.
How do Cape buffalos and giraffes compare on top speed?
Cape buffalo: 57 km/h. Giraffe: 60 km/h. Cape buffalo and giraffe are near enough identical on top speed.

Related pages

Sources

  1. Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History — Smithsonian Institution

How these figures are compiled and checked