Computer-aided photographic pelage pattern analysis of Giraffa camelopardalis (Artiodactyla: Giraffidae)
The giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) is one of the most recognisable animal species on earth. Yet hunting and habitat loss and fragmentation have led to severe, but until recently largely unnoticed, declines of giraffe populations all over Africa. The IUCN recognised one single species with nine subspecies and changed the status from ‘Least Concern’ to ‘Vulnerable’ […]
Enclosure size in captive wild mammals: A comparison between UK zoological collections and the wild
A comparison was made between the average enclosure size of a random sample of mammals lept during the years 2000-2001in a random sample of UK zoological collections and the minimum home range of these taxa in the wild. Allometric laws were used to estimate the home range area, while direct observation from videotaped visits to […]
Fiber type composition of the plantarflexors of giraffes (giraffa camelopardalis) at different postnatal stages of development
A sample of fibers from deep (close to the bone) and superficial (away from the bone) regions of the plantaris (PLT) and medial (MG) and lateral (LG) gastrocnemius muscles of a neonatal, a 17-day-old and an adult giraffe were typed qualitatively as dark or light based on alkaline preincubation myosin ATPase staining properties and then […]
Thorns as induced defenses: experimental evidence
We report evidence from controlled experiments that long straight thorns deter herbivory by browsers. Cut branches of three woody species that had their thorns removed suffered significantly greater herbivory by a tethered goat than did paired intact branches. Branches on living Acacia seyal plants that had their thorns removed suffered significantly greater herbivory by a […]
Influence of Diet on the Rumen Protozoal Fauna of Indigenous African Wild Ruminants
A study was carried out to determine if the protozoal fauna of indigenous African wild ruminants was different from that found in their domestic counterparts and if the animal’s diet influenced the number and types of protozoa. Samples of rumen contents were collected in 1997 and 2001 from various indigenous African wild ruminants in Kenya. […]
Necks for sex: sexual selection as an explanation for sauropod dinosaur neck elongation
The immensely long neck of a sauropod is one of the most familiar and striking of anatomical specializations among dinosaurs. Here, I use recently collected neontological and paleontological information to test the predictions of two competing hypotheses proposed to explain the significance of the long neck. According to the traditional hypothesis, neck elongation in sauropods […]
Serum concentration comparisons of amino acids, fatty acids, lipoproteins, vitamins A and E, and minerals between zoo and free-ranging giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis)
Serum concentrations of amino acids, fatty acids, lipoproteins, vitamins A and E, and minerals in zoo giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis) were compared to values obtained from free-ranging giraffes in an effort to identify potential nutritional differences in the zoo population. Zoo giraffes have a specific set of maladies that may be nutritionally related, including peracute mortality, […]