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A comparison between Acacia and Combretum leaves utilized by giraffe

Various studies on the food preferences of giraffe indicate that the leaves of the Acacia and Combretum species are the most important food items selected. The present study was aimed at comparing the chemical composition of the leaves and explaining the utilization of both these plant groups by giraffe. The protein content of the leaves of the Acacia species is generally higher than in those of the Combretum species and they are therefore a better source of food.

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Sex differences in giraffe feeding ecology: Energetic and social constraints

Sex ratios of giraffe groups differ in different habitats, with open vegetation having female‐biased groups, and tall, thick vegetation having male‐biased groups. On a ranch in south‐central Kenya, we quantified habitat differences of male and female giraffe groups and showed that the preference for open habitats by female groups was limited to groups with young. We suggest that this difference is due to the avoidance of predators of young giraffes. We also showed that rates of giraffe feeding peaked at

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Giraffes and the pollination ecology of knobthorns (Acacia nigrescens)

Giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis) consume large quantities of knobthorn (Acacia nigrescens) flowers every year, and may be acting as pollinators. Because knobthorns flower in the late dry season, nutritionally a critical time of year for ungulates, the flowers are an important source of food for giraffes, especially since they are not physically protected against herbivory. Giraffes visit the flowering trees reliably year after year, carry pollen on their heads and necks, and cover large distances between knobthorns. In this study, conducted

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Observations on puberty and pregnancy in female giraffe (giraffa camelopardalis)

The age at sexual maturity in the female giraffe G. camelopardalis was found to be 3 years 10 months when in captivity and 4 years 8 months in wild animals. The mean calving interval was 19.9 months for wild animals, and 21.5 months for captives. Post partum intervals as short as 19, 23 and 27 days until the next conception were recorded. Giraffe are polyestrous and monotocous, but one record of stillborn twins from the eastern Transvaal, South Africa (the

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Fecal Progestagen and Estrone During Pregnancy in a Giraffe: A Case Report

The present study was carried out to measure fecal progestagen and estrone concentrations during pregnancy in a giraffe and examine the possibility of utilizing this assay system for pregnancy diagnosis. Fecal samples were collected from a giraffe during her third and fourth parities and mixed with methanol to prepare a fecal solution. Diluted fecal solution was used for direct enzyme immunoassay for progestagen and estrone. The newborn calf from the third parity was viable, although that from the fourth parity

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Blood pressure and flow rate in the giraffe jugular vein

Experimental measurements in the jugular veins of upright giraffes have shown that the internal pressure is somewhat above atmospheric and increases with height above the heart. A simple model of steady viscous flow in an inverted U-tube shows that these observations are inconsistent with a model in which the blood vessels in the head and neck are effectively rigid and the system resembles a siphon. Instead, the observations indicate that the veins are collapsed and have a high resistance to

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The structure of the masseter muscle in the giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis)

In the giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis), the masseter muscle was divided into several layers. The superficial and more medial (second) tendinous sheets of the masseter muscle fused with each other at the dorso-caudal part and a fleshy portion was located between these tendinous sheets. In the rostral part, the most superficial tendinous sheet turned around as a compact tendon and attached to the facial crest (Crista facialis). The turned tendinous sheet, however, never fused with the second tendinous sheet and this

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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 3–5 days) and peak PdG levels in the postovulatory period averaged 30.9 ± 1.7 ng/mg Cr (N = 12). PdG levels during the latter half

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Physiological cross-sectional area of the masticatory muscles in the giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis)

Numerous studies have investigated how the skeletal morphology is related to feeding behaviour (Christiansen and Adolfssen 2005; Wroe et al. 2005; Christiansen and Wroe 2007; Ellis et al. 2009; Koyabu and Endo 2009; Koyabu et al. 2009; Koyabu and Endo 2010), although remarkably few studies have focused on the architecture of masticatory muscles from which bite forces are produced. In this regard, the quantification of physiological cross-sectional areas (PCSA) of muscle is critical for estimation of bite forces. PCSA is

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Development of 11 microsatellite markers for Giraffa camelopardalis through 454 pyrosequencing, with primer options for an additional 458 microsatellites

Many wild giraffe populations are declining across Africa, with two subspecies listed by the IUCN as Endangered in the past 4 years. We developed 11 microsatellite markers from Giraffa camelopardalis angolensis in Etosha National Park, Namibia using 454 sequencing. In 70 individuals, the loci showed 2–4 alleles per locus and expected heterozygosities of 0.082–0.711. There were no significant deviations from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium for any of the loci. Null allele frequencies were low (<3 %) across all loci. We present primer options for

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