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The maximum attainable body size of herbivorous mammals: morphophysiological constraints on foregut, and adaptations of hindgut fermenters

An oft-cited nutritional advantage of large body size is that larger animals have lower relative energy requirements and that, due to their increased gastrointestinal tract (GIT) capacity, they achieve longer ingesta passage rates, which allows them to use forage of lower quality. However, the fermentation of plant material cannot be optimized endlessly; there is a time when plant fibre is totally fermented, and another when energy losses due to methanogenic bacteria become punitive. Therefore, very large herbivores would need to

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Giraffe cow reaction to the death of her newborn calf

Observations in their natural habitat of animals’ reactions to recently deceased conspecifics are rare. Documenting a diversity of mammalian responses is essential to augment our understanding of potential evolutionary foundations of both mental states and social bonds. Individuals that previously had strong social ties to dead conspecifics might be expected to display different reactions than those who did not, and the degree of investigation of carcasses, or carrying of carcasses, has led some to infer that chimpanzees, Pan troglodytes (Anderson,

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Giraffes, Rats, and Man — What is the importance of the ‘structural factor’ in normo- and hypertensive states?

The normal structural adaptation of heart and vessels to regional changes in load or/and tissue demands is surveyed with respect to its importance for cardiovascular function in normotension as well as in physiological (giraffes) and pathophysiological (e.g. human and rat primary hypertension) variants of high pressure states. At the local level it implies an entirely appropriate adjustment of cardiovascular geometric design according to principles inherent in the LaPlace and Poiseuille laws. However, when generalized to all systemic circuits, as in

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Giraffe feeding on Acacia flowers: predation or pollination?

Consumption of flowers by the following four browsing ruminant species was monitored for two years in a southern African savannah: giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis Linnaeus), kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros Pallas), impala (Aepyceros melampus Lichtenstein) and steenbok (Raphicerus campestris Thunberg). Flowers of Acacia nigrescens Oliver are an important food resource to giraffe in the late dry season. This is not necessarily deleterious to the reproductive potential of the plant however, as most or all African Acacia species bear high proportions of sterile flowers.

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Subfamily Giraffinae – Giraffe

Subfamily Giraffinae is a monotypic subfamily, represented by a single surviving species, the Giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis. The Giraffe , Giraffa camelopardalis, is the only extant representative of the genus Giraffa. Together with the only other living giraffid, the Okapi Okapia johnstoni, they represent the extant members of a previously more diverse group. This chapter covers a complete overview of modern day giraffe including distribution, anatomy and physiology, ecology, and current conservation status.

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Spinal cord injury during recovery from anaesthesia in a giraffe

ANAESTHESIA of giraffes carries particular risks of morbidity and mortality as a result of the physical characteristics of a large, longlegged, long-necked animal with a heavy head; death is reported in approximately one in 10 cases (Benbow and Lyon 2001, Bush and others 2002, Flach and others 2002). Mortality may relate to physical damage or occasionally regurgitation and aspiration (Citino and Bush 2007). This short communication describes an accident during recovery of a giraffe from an otherwise straightforward anaesthetic.

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Jugular venous pooling during lowering of the head affects blood pressure of anesthetized giraffe

How blood flow and pressure to the giraffe’s brain are regulated when drinking remains debated. We measured simultaneous blood flow, pressure, and cross-sectional area in the carotid artery and jugular vein of five anesthetized and spontaneously breathing giraffes. The giraffes were suspended in the upright position so that we could lower the head. In the upright position, mean arterial pressure (MAP) was 193 +/- 11 mmHg (mean +/- SE), carotid flow was 0.7 +/- 0.2 l/min, and carotid cross-sectional area

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Conservation monitoring: estimating mammal densities in woodland habitats

Conservation and ecological monitoring programmes often estimate animal densities over time, but in wooded and forested areas practical techniques are still poorly developed. Here I have examined five simple methods of deriving densities of large and medium-sized mammals using line transects driven through miombo woodland habitat in Africa. These methods calculated area by dividing the number of individuals seen by (i) an average of each species’ sighting distances, (ii) a fixed 200 m belt width, (iii) the area visible from

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The diet and ecological role of giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) introduced to the Eastern Cape, South Africa

With an increase in the popularity of wildlife ranching in southern Africa has come the introduction of non-native (extralimital) mammalian herbivores. Financial gain has arguably been at the forefront of these introductions, with little or no assessment of the ecological consequences. The diet of three populations of introduced giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis was assessed by direct observation in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa between January 2002 and October 2003, as the first step towards understanding the ecological role played by

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