Behavioural inventory of the giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis)

Seeber, Peter A.; Ciofolo, Isabelle; Ganswindt, André

doi:10.1186/1756-0500-5-650

Cited by 42 publications

(40 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…Artiodactyls are similarly slow most of the time: wildebeest (Connochaetes spp.) travel only 2-3km daily [63]; red deer (Cervus elaphus) move on average 100-400m per hour [64], while giraffe may walk for 5h daily [65] and can canter for only a few minutes at a time [66].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Limb bone scaling in hopping macropods and quadrupedal artiodactyls

Doube

Felder

Chua

et al. 2018

Preprint

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Bone adaptation is modulated by the timing, direction, rate, and magnitude of mechanical loads. To investigate whether frequent slow, or infrequent fast, gaits could dominate bone adaptation to load, we compared scaling of the limb bones from two mammalian herbivore clades that use radically different high-speed gaits, bipedal hopping and quadrupedal galloping. Forelimb and hindlimb bones were collected from 20 artiodactyl and 15 diprotodont species (body mass M 1.05 -1536 kg) and scanned in clinical computed tomography or X-ray microtomography. Second moment of area (I max ) and bone length (l) were measured. Scaling relations (y = ax b ) were calculated for l vs M for each bone and for I max vs M and I max vs l for every 5% of length. I max vs M scaling relationships were broadly similar between clades despite the diprotodont forelimb being nearly unloaded, and the hindlimb highly loaded, during bipedal hopping. I max vs l and l vs M scaling were related to locomotor and behavioural specialisations. Low-intensity loads may be sufficient to maintain bone mass across a wide range of species. Occasional high-intensity gaits might not break through the load sensitivity saturation engendered by frequent low-intensity gaits. IntroductionDuring daily rest and activity, bones experience a range of mechanical loading conditions that relate to each behaviour's physical intensity. Bones respond anabolically, that is, by increasing bone tissue formation and decreasing bone resorption, when they experience a small number of novel high strain and high strain rate events with a rest period between bouts of loading [1,2]. Repetitive loading has a saturation or habituation effect, in which tissue is no longer responsive to mechanical loads after a few tens of cycles [2]. Large numbers of loading cycles without sufficient rest are associated with fatigue or 'stress' fractures, typically seen in new military recruits [3] and racing animals such as greyhounds [4] and horses [5,6]. The distributions of occasional maximal loads and habitual moderate loads vary within the skeleton and depend on locomotor activity, which should appear as a morphological signal in clades that adopt very different characteristic gaits [7].

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Limb bone scaling in hopping macropods and quadrupedal artiodactyls

Doube

Felder

Chua

et al. 2018

Preprint

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“…An ethogram (Table ) was constructed by combining information obtained through preliminary observations and published ethograms for giraffes [Ginnett and Demment, ; Hosie and Turner, ; Kinahan and Marples, ; del Castillo et al, ; Veasey et al, ; Seeber et al, ]. Only one behavior, locomotion, was not mutually exclusive with the others; for instance, tongue‐playing and locomotion could occur simultaneously.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of guest feeding programs on captive giraffe behavior

2016

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Zoological institutions develop human-animal interaction opportunities for visitors to advance missions of conservation, education, and recreation; however, the animal welfare implications largely have yet to be evaluated. This behavioral study was the first to quantify impacts of guest feeding programs on captive giraffe behavior and welfare, by documenting giraffe time budgets that included both normal and stereotypic behaviors. Thirty giraffes from nine zoos (six zoos with varying guest feeding programs and three without) were observed using both instantaneous scan sampling and continuous behavioral sampling techniques. All data were collected during summer 2012 and analyzed using linear mixed models. The degree of individual giraffe participation in guest feeding programs was positively associated with increased time spent idle and marginally associated with reduced time spent ruminating. Time spent participating in guest feeding programs had no effect on performance of stereotypic behaviors. When time spent eating routine diets was combined with time spent participating in guest feeding programs, individuals that spent more time engaged in total feeding behaviors tended to perform less oral stereotypic behavior such as object-licking and tongue-rolling. By extending foraging time and complexity, guest feeding programs have the potential to act as environmental enrichment and alleviate unfulfilled foraging motivations that may underlie oral stereotypic behaviors observed in many captive giraffes. However, management strategies may need to be adjusted to mitigate idleness and other program consequences. Further studies, especially pre-and-post-program implementation comparisons, are needed to better understand the influence of human-animal interactions on zoo animal behavior and welfare.

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“…Studies on captive giraffe and observations in the wild confirmed giraffe to rest in a specific position: lying on the ground, bending their neck backwards, and resting the head on the flank (Seeber et al, 2012;Sicks, 2012;Tobler & Schwierin, 1996). Although there is no physiological evidence to date that giraffe go through REM sleep in this particular body position, the analysis of RSP events can provide useful information about their welfare and behavioral adaptation.…”

Section: Observing Nocturnal Behavior In the Wildtechnical Aspects mentioning

confidence: 99%

Nightly selection of resting sites and group behavior reveal antipredator strategies in giraffe

Burger

Fennessy

et al. 2020

Ecology and Evolution

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This study presents the first findings on nocturnal behavior patterns of wild Angolan giraffe. We characterized their nocturnal behavior and analyzed the influence of ecological factors such as group size, season, and habitat use. Giraffe were observed using night vision systems and thermal imaging cameras on Okapuka Ranch, Namibia. A total of 77 giraffe were observed during 24 nights over two distinct periods—July–August 2016 (dry season) and February–March 2017 (wet season). Photoperiod had a marked influence on their activity and moving behavior. At dusk, giraffe reduced the time spent moving and increasingly lay down and slept at the onset of darkness. Body postures that likely correspond to rapid eye movement (REM) sleep posture (RSP) were observed 15.8 ± 18.3 min after giraffe sat down. Season had a significant effect with longer RSP phases during the dry season (dry: 155.2 ± 191.1 s, n = 79; wet: 85.8 ± 94.9 s, n = 73). Further analyses of the influence of social behavior patterns did not show an effect of group size on RSP lengths. When a group of giraffe spent time at a specific resting site, several individuals were alert (vigilant) while other group members sat down or took up RSP. Simultaneous RSP events within a group were rarely observed. Resting sites were characterized by single trees or sparse bushes on open areas allowing for good visibility in a relatively sheltered location.

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Behavioural inventory of the giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis)

Cited by 42 publications

References 49 publications

Limb bone scaling in hopping macropods and quadrupedal artiodactyls

Limb bone scaling in hopping macropods and quadrupedal artiodactyls

Effects of guest feeding programs on captive giraffe behavior

Nightly selection of resting sites and group behavior reveal antipredator strategies in giraffe

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