# Okapi (*Okapia johnstoni*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/okapi  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The okapi (Okapia johnstoni) is a mammal in the family Giraffidae, order Artiodactyla. It is a large, diurnal, terrestrial herbivore with an adult body mass of 230 kg, and our sources report values from 200 to 300 kg. Gestation lasts 452.6 days (1.2 years), each litter has one young, and sexual maturity is reached at 2.1 years. The okapi is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, a threatened category, and has a lifespan of 33 years, with values up to 33.5 years.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 200 kg – 300 kg |
| Length | 2.5 m |
| Height | 1.5 m |
| Lifespan | 33 years |
| Diet | Herbivore |
| Main food | leaves |
| Habitat | forest |
| Gestation | 426 days – 457 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | 1 |
| Age at maturity | 23.9 months – 2.16 years |
| Litters or clutches a year | 0.8 |
| Active | By day (diurnal) |
| Lifestyle | Terrestrial |
| Conservation status | Endangered (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Mammalia
- order: Artiodactyla
- family: Giraffidae
- genus: Okapia
- species: *Okapia johnstoni* (P. L. Sclater, 1901)

Synonyms: *Equus johnstoni*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is an okapi?

The okapi is a mammal in the family Giraffidae and the order Artiodactyla. It is classed as a large, terrestrial animal.

### How heavy is an okapi?

An adult okapi has a body mass of 230 kg. Our sources report values from 200 to 300 kg.

### What does an okapi eat?

The okapi is a herbivore.

### Is the okapi endangered?

Yes. The okapi is listed as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List, which is a threatened category.

### How long does an okapi live?

The okapi has a lifespan of 33 years, with values up to 33.5 years reported by our sources.

### How many young does an okapi have?

An okapi has one young per litter, after a gestation period of 452.6 days (1.2 years).

### Who named the okapi?

The okapi, Okapia johnstoni, was named by P. L. Sclater in 1901, written as (P. L. Sclater, 1901).

### What are other names for the okapi?

Other English names for the okapi are zebra giraffe, forest giraffe and African unicorn.

## Sources

- [An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1), CC0 1.0, E096-269. Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1
- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [EltonTraits 1.0: species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1), CC0 1.0, 1.0. Wilman, H., Belmaker, J., Simpson, J., de la Rosa, C., Rivadeneira, M.M. & Jetz, W. (2014) EltonTraits 1.0: Species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals. Ecology 95: 2027. https://doi.org/10.1890/13-1917.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Okapi (Okapia johnstoni). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/okapi