Beast Buddies – Do Animals Have Friends?
That issue of preferred associates comes close to the human notion of friendship, and it can prove just as important in understanding animal goings-on as it does in people watching. Baboons, bats, and dozens of other animals have been studied from this perspective. Biologists may start by asking whether individuals prefer to hang out with […]
The neocortex of cetartiodactyls. II. Neuronal morphology of the visual and motor cortices in the giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis)
The present quantitative study extends our investigation of cetartiodactyls by exploring the neuronal morphology in the giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) neocortex. Here, we investigate giraffe primary visual and motor cortices from perfusion-fixed brains of three subadults stained with a modified rapid Golgi technique. Neurons (n = 244) were quantified on a computer-assisted microscopy system. Qualitatively, the […]
Tourism Development, Rural Livelihoods, and Conservation in the Okavango Delta, Bostwana
This study analyzed changes in livelihoods before and after tourism development at Khwai, Mababe and Sankoyo villages in the Okavango Delta. Specifically, it analyzed how people interacted with species like giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis), sable antelope (Hippotragus niger) and thatching grass (Cymbopogon excavatus) before and after tourism development. This analysis was expected to measure the effectiveness […]
Does tooth wear influence ageing? A comparative study across large herbivores
We test whether the intensity of tooth wear influences the strength of actuarial senescence across species of large herbivores. We collected from the literature data on tooth wear in the wild (measured as the slope of the regression of log-transformed M1 crown height on age), longevity (measured as the age at which 90% of individuals […]
Use of Datura innoxia by ungulates in the Hoanib River, Namibia
The behaviour of springbok Antidorcas marsupialis feeding on the alien invasive plant Datura innoxia is described, as well as nervous symptoms possibly arising from tropane alkaloid poisoning. Dung collected from five herbivore species prior to 1989 contained no D. innoxia seeds, and other signs of use of it were rare. Feeding on this plant, principally […]
The two types of cranial appendages in Giraffa camelopardalis (Mammalia, Artiodactyla)
The current consensus is that only one type of horn, the ossicone, exists in the giraffe and that the central or median horn is both structurally and developmentally similar to the paired parietal horns. We have shown that the paired ossicones are composites of three structures: an innermost large frontoparietal boss base, the ossicone, and […]
Notes on the microstructure of hair of the Orycteropodidae, Elephantidae, Equidae, Suidae and Giraffidae
The microstructure of hair of seven species of southern African mammals is described. Distribution notes and micrographs are presented to assist in hair identification.
Host preference of the Yellow-billed Oxpecker Buphagus africanus in the Rhodes Matopos National Park, Rhodesia
Records were kept from May 1977 to April 1978 of Yellow-billed Oxpeckers Buphagus africanus and ungulates seen in the Whovi Wild Area of the Rhodes Matopos National Park. Host preference was determined by recording when oxpeckers were not in attendance. A distinct selection was shown for certain ungulate species, the order of preference being buffalo, […]
Brachygnathia Superior in a New-Born Giraffe Giraffa Camelopardalis Giraffa Schreber
A female giraffe, the sixth calf born to a 16-year old cow, displayed a deformity known as extreme brachygnathia superior and died some hours after birth. Death was ascribed to inability to breathe freely and inability to suckle. Possible pre-dispositions to the occurrence of such a deformity are examined in the light of this small […]
The numerical status of sixteen game species in the Transvaal, excluding the Kruger National Park
The paper describes the results of a survey to determine the numbers of the following game species in the Transvaal: springbok, blesbok, zebra, blue wildebeest, black wildebeest, red hartebeest, gemsbok, eland, nyaia, buffalo, elephant, giraffe and squarelipped rhinoceros. The distribution of each species is discussed and the different localities of occurrence are illustrated. The growing […]