South African giraffe

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South African giraffe
Giraffe standing.jpg
Male in South Africa
Not recognized (IUCN 3.1) [1]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Giraffidae
Genus: Giraffa
Species:
Subspecies:
G. c. giraffa
Trinomial name
Giraffa camelopardalis giraffa
(von Schreber, 1784)
Giraffa camelopardis distribution 2018.png
Range in light green

The South African giraffe or Cape giraffe (Giraffa giraffa [2] or Giraffa camelopardalis giraffa) is a species or subspecies of giraffe found in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Eswatini and Mozambique. It has rounded or blotched spots, some with star-like extensions on a light tan background, running down to the hooves.

Contents

In 2016, the population was estimated at 31,500 individuals in the wild.

Taxonomy and evolution

The IUCN currently recognizes only one species of giraffe with nine subspecies. [1] [3] The Cape giraffe, along with the whole species, were first known by the binomen Camelopardalis giraffa as described by German naturalist Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber in his publication Die Säugethiere in Abbildungen nach der Natur mit Beschreibungen (The Mammals Illustrated from Nature with Descriptions) during his travel in the Cape of Good Hope in 1784. Dutch naturalist Pieter Boddaert also described it under the binomial name Giraffa giraffa whilst also identifying the nominate specimen of said species under the ternary name Giraffa camelopardalis giraffa in 1785. [4]

Following Schreber's description of the South African giraffe, several specimens were described by other naturalists and zoologists since the end of the 18th century under different scientific names, which are all considered synonyms of Giraffa camelopardalis giraffa today:

Descriptions

Two bull giraffes drinking. Their mostly convex spots with irregular incisions are typical of the South African subspecies. Giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis) male drinking ... (31503565624).jpg
Two bull giraffes drinking. Their mostly convex spots with irregular incisions are typical of the South African subspecies.

The South African giraffe has dark, somewhat rounded patches "with some fine projections" on a tawny background colour. The spots extend down the legs and get smaller. The median lump of males is less developed. [5] :52

Distribution and habitat

The South African giraffe is found in northern South Africa, southern Botswana, southern Zimbabwe, and south-western Mozambique. [6] After local extinctions in various places, South African giraffes have been reintroduced in many parts of Southern Africa, including in Eswatini. They are common in both in and outside of protected areas. [1] South African giraffes usually live in savannahs and woodlands where food plants are available. Giraffes are herbivorous. They feed on leaves, flowers, fruits and shoots of woody plants such as Acacia.

South African giraffes live in a fission–fusion society system based on factors such as sex, age, season, and kinship. [7] This allows them to adapt to environmental changes. [8]

Threats

At present[ when? ], the South African giraffe population is estimated at 37,000 individuals, showing an increase of over 150% over the past three decades. [9] The International Union for the Conservation of Nature, the body that administers the world's official endangered species list, announced in 2016 that it was moving the giraffe from a species of Least Concern to Vulnerable status in its Red List of Threatened Species report. That means the animal faces extinction in the wild in the medium-term future if nothing is done to minimize the threats to its life or habitat.

In captivity

South African giraffes are uncommon in captivity. As of 2010, there are around 45 South African giraffes breeding in zoos. [6] Approximately 12,000 privately owned farms, ranches, and national parks maintain populations of this giraffe[ citation needed ].

Related Research Articles

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The giraffe is a large African hoofed mammal belonging to the genus Giraffa. It is the tallest living terrestrial animal and the largest ruminant on Earth. Traditionally, giraffes were thought to be one species, Giraffa camelopardalis, with nine subspecies. Most recently, researchers proposed dividing them into up to eight extant species due to new research into their mitochondrial and nuclear DNA, as well as morphological measurements. Seven other extinct species of Giraffa are known from the fossil record.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giraffidae</span> Family of mammals belonging to even-toed ungulates

The Giraffidae are a family of ruminant artiodactyl mammals that share a common ancestor with deer and bovids. This family, once a diverse group spread throughout Eurasia and Africa, presently comprises only two extant genera, the giraffe and the okapi. Both are confined to sub-Saharan Africa: the giraffe to the open savannas, and the okapi to the dense rainforest of the Congo. The two genera look very different on first sight, but share a number of common features, including a long, dark-coloured tongue, lobed canine teeth, and horns covered in skin, called ossicones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Masai giraffe</span> Species of giraffe

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern giraffe</span> Proposed species of giraffe

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildlife of South Africa</span> Flora and fauna of the country

The wildlife of South Africa consists of the flora and fauna of this country in southern Africa. The country has a range of different habitat types and an ecologically rich and diverse wildlife, vascular plants being particularly abundant, many of them endemic to the country. There are few forested areas, much savanna grassland, semi-arid Karoo vegetation and the fynbos of the Cape Floristic Region. Famed for its national parks and big game, 297 species of mammal have been recorded in South Africa, as well as 849 species of bird and over 20,000 species of vascular plants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burchell's starling</span> Species of bird

Burchell's starling or Burchell's glossy-starling is a species of starling in the family Sturnidae. The monogamous and presumably sedentary species is native to dry and mesic woodlands and savannah of southern Africa. The name of this bird commemorates the English naturalist William John Burchell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buffy pipit</span> Species of bird

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kordofan giraffe</span> Subspecies of giraffe

The Kordofan giraffe is a species or subspecies of giraffe found in northern Cameroon, southern Chad, the Central African Republic, and possibly western Sudan. Historically some confusion has existed over the exact range limit of this subspecies compared to the West African giraffe, with populations in e.g. northern Cameroon formerly assigned to the latter. Genetic work has also revealed that all "West African giraffe" in European zoos are in fact Kordofan giraffe. It has been suggested that the Nigerian giraffe's ancestor dispersed from East to North Africa during the Quaternary period and thereafter migrated to its current Sahel distribution in West Africa in response to the development of the Sahara desert. Compared to most other subspecies, the Kordofan giraffe is relatively small at 3.8 to 4.7 meters, with more irregular spots on the inner legs. Its English name is a reference to Kordofan in Sudan. There are around 2,300 individuals living in the wild.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West African giraffe</span> Subspecies of giraffe

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thornicroft's giraffe</span>

Thornicroft's giraffe, also known as the Rhodesian giraffe or Luangwa giraffe, is a subspecies of giraffe. It is sometimes considered a species in its own right or a subspecies of the Masai giraffe. It is geographically isolated, occurring only in Zambia’s South Luangwa Valley. An estimated 550 live in the wild, with no captive populations. Its lifespan is 22 years for males and 28 years for females. The ecotype was originally named after Harry Scott Thornicroft, a commissioner in what was then North-Eastern Rhodesia and later Northern Rhodesia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reticulated giraffe</span> Species of giraffe

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southeast African cheetah</span> Subspecies of carnivore

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern giraffe</span> Species of giraffe

The southern giraffe, also known as two-horned giraffe, is a species of giraffe native to Southern Africa. However, the IUCN currently recognizes only one species of giraffe with nine subspecies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Megaherbivore</span> Megafauna subgroup

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Muller, Z.; Bercovitch, F.; Brand, R.; Brown, D.; Brown, M.; Bolger, D.; Carter, K.; Deacon, F.; Doherty, J. B.; Fennessy, J.; Fennessy, S.; Hussein, A.A.; Lee, D.; Marais, A.; Strauss, M.; Tutchings, A. & Wube, T. (2016). "Giraffa camelopardalis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T9194A136266699. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T9194A136266699.en .
  2. Groves, Colin; Grubb, Peter (2011). Ungulate Taxonomy. JHU Press. pp. 68–70. ISBN   9781421400938.
  3. Bercovitch, Fred B.; Berry, Philip S. M.; Dagg, Anne; Deacon, Francois; Doherty, John B.; Lee, Derek E.; Mineur, Frédéric; Muller, Zoe; Ogden, Rob (2017-02-20). "How many species of giraffe are there?". Current Biology. 27 (4): R136–R137. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2016.12.039 . ISSN   0960-9822. PMID   28222287.
  4. von Schreber, A. (1784). (Camelopardalis giraffa). Southern African mammals 1758 to 1951 : a reclassification (1953): 151.
  5. Seymour, R. (2002) The taxonomic status of the giraffe, Giraffa camelopardalis (L. 1758), PhD Thesis
  6. 1 2 "Giraffe – The Facts: Current giraffe status?". Giraffe Conservation Foundation. Archived from the original on 19 March 2016. Retrieved 21 December 2010.
  7. Deacon, F., & Bercovitch, F. B. (2018). Movement patterns and herd dynamics among south african giraffes (giraffa camelopardalis giraffa). African Journal of Ecology, 56(3), 620-628. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.12514
  8. Wolf, T. E., Ngonga Ngomo, A. -., Bennett, N. C., Burroughs, R., & Ganswindt, A. (2018). Seasonal changes in social networks of giraffes. Journal of Zoology, 305(2), 82-87. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/jzo.12531
  9. "Southern Giraffe". Giraffe Conservation Foundation.