Girafarig is a hoofed quadruped Pokémon with a long neck. There is a white blaze on its muzzle, which ends with its round, pink nose. It has two horns with bulbous tips on top of its head. Its front half is yellow with black spots, while its back half is black with yellow spots. The female Girafarig has a smaller dark section than the male. There are many triangular, pink spikes along its back.
Girafarig's tail possesses a head of its own. The tail's head has yellow eyes, a mouth full of sharp teeth, and a small brain. However, this head is incapable of independent thinking and relies on outside stimuli such as smell to guide its actions. If the tail smells something alluring, it will bite. The tail often mimics the head during feeding, and is able to warn the Pokémon of danger if it is sleeping. Girafarig lives in wide-open plains, where it feeds on the plant life.
Morrison introduced Ash and his friends to his Girafarig in Saved by the Beldum. Morrison used Girafarig in his match against Ash but due to Morrison's reluctance to battle his friend, Girafarig was defeated by Corphish.
Girafarig first appeared in Into the Unown as one of the Pokémon used by Harry, of Team Rocket's Elite Trio. It was used in attempt to capture Suicune in Miltank Melee, it fell asleep temporarily by Parasee's Spore in Indubitably Ditto. It was used in Great Girafarig, to battle Eusine where it used its tail to find him but it fell into its trap and got electrocuted.
Morty later helped a Trainer to locate her lost Girafarig in Misdreavus Misgivings, it has a scar under its eye. Later the same Trainer was one of the people who volunteered their Pokémon for transfer sending her Girafarig in The Last Battle XIII.
A Girafarig was seen in Tackling Togekiss, under Lucian's ownership. It was used to move books with its mind and bring them to its Trainer.
Girafarig's rear head also has a brain, but it is small. The rear head attacks in response to smells and sounds. Approaching this Pokémon from behind can cause the rear head to suddenly lash out and bite.
Girafarig's rear head contains a tiny brain that is too small for thinking. However, the rear head doesn't need to sleep, so it can keep watch over its surroundings 24 hours a day.
A Girafarig is an herbivore—it eats grass and tree shoots. While it is eating, its tail makes chewing and swallowing motions as if it were also eating.
Girafarig's rear head also has a brain, but it is small. The rear head attacks in response to smells and sounds. Approaching this Pokémon from behind can cause the rear head to suddenly lash out and bite.
Girafarig's rear head contains a tiny brain that is too small for thinking. However, the rear head doesn't need to sleep, so it can keep watch over its surroundings 24 hours a day.
Game locations
This Pokémon was unavailable prior to Generation II.
An early design of Girafarig had a full-sized second head, reflecting its palindromic name, and rather resembling a Pushmi-pullyu.
Origin
Girafarig is based on the Giraffokeryx, which resembled both the okapi and the giraffe. Girafarig's small second brain may have been based on the Stegosaurus, a herbivorous dinosaur which had been speculated to have possessed a second brain in its tail, improving its reflexes against predators.
Name origin
Girafarig is a palindrome based on giraffe, referring its two-headed and reverse appearance.
Kirinriki is both a palindrome (when written in katakana) based on 麒麟 kirin (giraffe), and a combination of kirin and 念力 nenriki (telekinesis).
In other languages
Language
Title
Meaning
Japanese
キリンリキ Kirinriki
From 麒麟 kirin (giraffe) and 念力 nenriki (telekinesis)