The binucleate cell of Okapi and Giraffe placenta shows distinctive glycosylation compared with other ruminants: A lectin histochemical study
The placenta of ruminants contains characteristic binucleate cells (BNC) with a highly conserved glycan structure which evolved early in Ruminant phylogenesis. Giraffe and Okapi placentae also contain these cells and it is not known whether they have a similar glycan array. We have used lectin histochemistry to examine the glycosylation of these cells in these […]
Biomechanics of The Giraffe Larynx and Trachea
Despite possession of a well developed larynx and a gregarious nature, the Giraffe is able to utter only low moans or bleats. Morphological and histological examination, together with measurements of trachea and subglottic area on three fresh larynges (Giraffa camelopardalis) has made it possible to explain the lack of vocal power. Factors such as thoracic […]
Dead Space and Tidal Volume of The Giraffe Compared With Some Other Mammals
The ventilation, tidal volume and anatomical dead-space were measured in a living giraffe and compared with similar in a camel, red deer, llama and man. The giraffe had a resting tidal volume of about 3.3 litres with a dead-space/tidal volume ration of 0.34. The giraffe breathes lowly, apparently because of the unusually small diameter of […]
Examining disease prevalence for species of conservation concern using non-invasive spatial capture–recapture techniques
on‐invasive techniques have long been used to estimate wildlife population abundance and density. However, recent technological breakthroughs have facilitated non‐invasive estimation of the proportion of animal populations with certain diseases. Giraffes Giraffa camelopardalis are increasingly becoming recognized as a species of conservation concern with decreasing population trajectories across their range in Africa. Diseases may be an […]
How a Tiny Worm is Irritating the Most Majestic of Giraffes
What is a fly to a giraffe? It’s difficult to imagine a single insect even coming to the attention of these peculiar animals, which weigh in at thousands of pounds and routinely stretch their necks to heights of more than 14 feet. In Uganda’s Murchison Falls National Park, however, Michael B. Brown, a wildlife conservation […]
Sonomorphology of the reproductive tract in male and pregnant and non-pregnant female Rothschild’s giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis rotschildi)
The application of real-time-B-mode ultrasonography to wild and zoo animal medicine has been shown to improve the understanding of reproductive physiology in many species. Ultrasound technology is especially helpful for monitoring urogenital health, which in turn has advantages for giraffe breeding and welfare in captivity. This study aimed to ultrasonographically describe the genital organs of […]
Computer-aided photographic pelage pattern analysis of Giraffa camelopardalis (Artiodactyla: Giraffidae)
The giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) is one of the most recognisable animal species on earth. Yet hunting and habitat loss and fragmentation have led to severe, but until recently largely unnoticed, declines of giraffe populations all over Africa. The IUCN recognised one single species with nine subspecies and changed the status from ‘Least Concern’ to ‘Vulnerable’ […]
Theileria spp. in free ranging giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis) in Zambia
Theileria parasites were detected in five apparently healthy free-ranging giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis Linnaeus, 1758) captured for translocation on a game ranch located approximately 60 km south west of Lusaka. Giemsa-stained blood smears examined under a light microscope showed characteristic oval and rod shaped intra-erythrocytic piroplasms. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products targeted on the 18S rRNA […]
Contact Urticaria to Giraffe Hair
Immediate-type hypersensitivity to animal proteins is a common problem in people occupationally exposed to animals. Methods: A 19-year-old female working as a voluntary zookeeper in her off-time suffered from hives on her forearms following contact to the fur of a giraffe. For diagnostic evaluation, skin prick tests, assessment of specific serum IgE antibodies, and basophil […]
Molecular and Morphological Phylogenies of Ruminantia and the Alternative Position of the Moschidae
The ruminants constitute the largest group of ungulates, with >190 species, and its distribution is widespread throughout all continents except Australia and Antarctica. Six families are traditionally recognized within the suborder Ruminantia: Antilocapridae (pronghorns), Bovidae (cattle, sheep, and antelopes), Cervidae (deer), Giraffidae (giraffes and okapis), Moschidae (musk deer), and Tragulidae (chevrotains). The interrelationships of the […]