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A comparison of the bone density and morphology of giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) and buffalo (Syncerus caffer) skeletons

Unique features of giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis anatomy are its long neck and slender long limbs. Its neck vertebrae should be light and have low density to make it manoeuvrable while the limb bones should have high density to provide the strength to support the giraffe’s mass. Giraffes also have a very high vertical growth rate, a diet with a high Ca:P ratio, and a skeleton that constitutes a high proportion of its body mass. To investigate whether the giraffe skeleton

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The calcium and phosphorus content of giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) and buffalo (Syncerus caffer) skeletons

Osteophagia, variable serum calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) concentration, high serum alkaline phosphatase activity, a high growth rate, and a large skeletal mass, all suggest that Ca and P requirements and availability are finely balanced in giraffes. The mineral content of some marker bones in skeletons obtained from adult male giraffes (browsers) and adult male African buffaloes (grazers of similar body mass) were compared to assess the idea of critical Ca and P balance. Our results show that the P

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Population statistics and carrying capacity of large ungulates in Whovi Wild Area, Rhodes Matopos National Park, Zimbabwe Rhodesia

Population data for introduced large ungulates, are presented to demonstrate population growth in terms of numbers and biomass in the Whovi Wild Area of the Rhodes Matopos National Park, Zimbabwe Rhodesia. Peak calving in relation to food requirements of different species is discussed. Standing crop of large ungulates was calculated and compared with carrying capacity as predicted by Coe et al. (1976)

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