Sociosexual behavior, male mating tactics, and the reproductive cycle of giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis
Female distribution exerts a major impact on male mating tactics. Giraffe cows have a reproductive cycle, and a social system, that should favor a male roaming reproductive tactic. We conducted a 2-year study of female Rothschild’s giraffe (G. c. rothschildi) reproductive endocrinology in order to characterize attributes of the reproductive cycle and investigate how female […]
Utilizing scents as environmental enrichment: Preference assessment and application with Rothschild giraffe
Zoological institutions use environmental enrichment to increase opportunities for animals to engage in species-appropriate behavior. In these facilities, enrichment for giraffe typically consists of different types of feeders to increase the percentage of time spent foraging. The current study explored the use of scent enrichment as a way to increase exploration, activity levels and space […]
Urinary steroid evaluations to monitor ovarian function in exotic ungulates: II. Comparison between the giraffe (giraffa camelopardalis) and the okapi (okapia johnstoni)
Ovarian activity in the female giraffe was evaluated during the nonfertile ovarian cycle and during the terminal stages of gestation. Progesterone metabolites, in the form of pregnanediol‐3‐glucuronide (PdG), were measured in daily random urine samples collected from four adult parous giraffes. The follicular phase averaged 4.0 ± 0.1 days in length (N = 12; range […]
Maternal Investment in Captive Giraffes
Sex-biased maternal investment involves differential allocation of resources to production and rearing of sons or daughters as a function of their anticipated reproductive output. We examined reproductive investment among captive giraffe, (Giraffa camelopardalis) over a 21-year period to determine extent to which female invest differentially in offspring by sex. We found an unbiased sex ratio […]
Fecal steroid analysis of female giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) reproductive condition and the impact of endocrine status on daily time budgets
Gestation and lactation can impose substantial energetic costs on female mammals. We developed a non-invasive means to determine reproductive condition in female giraffe using fecal steroid analysis. Giraffe may be especially challenged during their reproductive cycle because of two characteristics: they are impregnated while lactating and they do not breed seasonally. We studied the social […]
The Structure of Social Relationships Among Captive Female Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis)
Giraffe herds have been characterized as random associations of individuals, but recent evidence suggests giraffe have a more complex social structure. The authors formulated 3 hypotheses designed to evaluate whether a herd of captive giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) associated randomly or patterned their behavior and proximity in a manner indicative of social relationships. Affiliative interaction, proximity, […]