Masai giraffe

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to navigationJump to search

Masai giraffe

Male at the San Diego Zoo

Female at the Louisville Zoo

Conservation status

Endangered (IUCN 3.1) [1]

Scientific classification

Domain: Eukaryota
 Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Artiodactyla

Family: Giraffidae

Genus: Giraffa

Species: G. c. tippelskirchii

Binomial name

Giraffa camelopardalis
tippelskirchii

(Matschie, 1898)

Range map in blue

The Masai giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchii), also spelled Maasai giraffe,

also called Kilimanjaro giraffe, is the largest subspecies of giraffe. It is native to East
Africa. The Masai giraffe can be found in central and southern Kenya and in Tanzania. It
has distinctive, irregular, jagged, star-like blotches that extend to the hooves. A median
forehead lump is usually present in bulls.
 Contents

 1Taxonomy
 2Description
 3Conservation
 4Gallery
 5See also
 6References
 7External links

Taxonomy[edit]
The IUCN currently recognizes only one species of giraffe with nine subspecies [1][2][3] The
Masai giraffe was described and given the binomial name Giraffa
tippelskirchi by German zoologist Paul Matschie in 1898, but current taxonomy refers to
Masai giraffe as Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi. The Masai giraffe was named in
honor of Herr von Tippelskirch who was a member of a German scientific expedition
in German East Africa to what is now northern Tanzania in 1896. Tippelskirch brought
back the skin of a female Masai giraffe from near Lake Eyasi which was later on
identified as Giraffa tippelskirchi. Alternative taxonomic hypotheses have proposed
Masai giraffe may be its own species.[4]

Description[edit]
The Masai giraffe is distinguished by jagged spots on its body, geographic range
including southern Kenya and all of Tanzania, and genetic evidence. [5][6][7] It is the largest-
bodied giraffe species, making it the tallest land animal on Earth. [5]

Conservation[edit]
Masai giraffes are considered endangered by the IUCN,[1] and the Masai giraffe
population declined 52% in recent decades due to poaching and habitat loss. Overall,
the approximate number of all populations accumulate to 32,550 in the wild.
Demographic studies of wild giraffes living inside and outside protected areas suggest
low adult survival outside protected areas due to poaching, and low calf survival inside
protected areas due to predation are the primary influences on population growth rates.
[8][9]
 Survival of giraffe calves is influenced by the season of birth, [10] and the seasonal local
presence or absence of long-distance migratory herds of wildebeest and zebra.
[11]
 Metapopulation analysis indicated protected areas were important for keeping giraffes
in the larger landscape.[12] In situ conservation of Masai giraffes is being done by several
government agencies including Kenya Wildlife Service, Tanzania National
Parks, Zambia Wildlife Authority; and non-governmental organizations including PAMS
Foundation, and Wild Nature Institute. Community-based wildlife conservation
areas have also been shown to be effective at protecting giraffes. [13][14] At several zoos,
Masai giraffe have become pregnant and successfully given birth. [15]
Gallery[edit]


Masai giraffe in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

 

Detail of head, taken at Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden

 

Two Masai giraffes in Mikumi National Park

 

Two week-old Masai giraffes in Serengeti, Tanzania

  

Close up of giraffe face in Masai Mara

See also[edit]
 Maasai people

References[edit]
1. ^ Jump up to:a b c Bolger, D.; Ogutu, J.; Strauss, M.; Lee, D.; Muneza, A.; Fennessy, J.; Brown, D.
(2019).  "Giraffa camelopardalis ssp. tippelskirchi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.  2019:
e.T88421036A88421121. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-1.RLTS.T88421036A88421121.en.
Retrieved 14 July  2019.
2. ^ IUCN (2016). "Giraffa camelopardalis: 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.". IUCN Red List of Threatened
Species. doi:10.2305/iucn.uk.2016-3.rlts.t9194a51140239.en.
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. ^ Petzold, Alice; Hassanin, Alexandre (2020-02-13).  "A comparative approach for species
delimitation based on multiple methods of multi-locus DNA sequence analysis: A case study of the
genus Giraffa (Mammalia, Cetartiodactyla)".  PLOS ONE. 15 (2):
e0217956.  doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0217956. ISSN 1932-6203.
5. ^ Jump up to:a b Dagg, A.I.; Foster, J. B. (1982).  The Giraffe. Its Biology, Behavior, and Ecology
(with updated supplementary material). Malabar, Florida: Krieger Publishing Company.
6. ^ Brown, David M.; Brenneman, Rick A.; Koepfli, Klaus-Peter; Pollinger, John P.; Milá, Borja;
Georgiadis, Nicholas J.; Louis, Edward E.; Grether, Gregory F.; Jacobs, David K. (2007-12-
21).  "Extensive population genetic structure in the giraffe". BMC Biology. 5  (1): 57. doi:10.1186/1741-
7007-5-57. ISSN 1741-7007.  PMC 2254591. PMID 18154651.
7. ^ Fennessy J.; Bidon T.; Reuss F.; Kumar V.; Elkan P.; Nilsson M.A.; Vamberger M.; Fritz U.;
Janke A. (2016).  "Multi-locus Analyses Reveal Four Giraffe Species Instead of One".  Current
Biology.  26(18): 2543–2549.  doi:10.1016/j.cub.2016.07.036.  PMID  27618261.
8. ^ Lee, Derek E.; Bond, Monica L.; Kissui, Bernard M.; Kiwango, Yustina A.; Bolger, Douglas
T. (2016-05-11). "Spatial variation in giraffe demography: a test of 2 paradigms". Journal of
Mammalogy.  97  (4): 1015–1025. doi:10.1093/jmammal/gyw086.  ISSN  0022-2372.
9. ^ Lee, D. E.; Strauss, M. K. L (2016-01-01). Reference Module in Earth Systems and
Environmental Sciences. Elsevier.  doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-409548-9.09721-9. ISBN 9780124095489.
10. ^ Lee, Derek Edward; Bond, Monica Louise; Bolger, Douglas Thomas (2017-01-01). "Season
of birth affects juvenile survival of giraffe".  Population Ecology.  59  (1): 45–54.  doi:10.1007/s10144-
017-0571-8. ISSN 1438-3896.
11. ^ Lee, Derek E.; Kissui, Bernard M.; Kiwango, Yustina A.; Bond, Monica L. (2016).  "Migratory
herds of wildebeests and zebras indirectly affect calf survival of giraffes". Ecology and
Evolution.  6(23): 8402–8411. doi:10.1002/ece3.2561. ISSN 2045-
7758.  PMC 5167056. PMID 28031792.
12. ^ Lee, Derek E.; Bolger, Douglas T. (2017-05-05). "Movements and source–sink dynamics of
a Masai giraffe metapopulation". Population Ecology. 59 (2): 157–168. doi:10.1007/s10144-017-
0580-7. ISSN 1438-3896.
13. ^ Lee, Derek E; Bond, Monica L (2018-02-26). "Quantifying the ecological success of a
community-based wildlife conservation area in Tanzania". Journal of Mammalogy. 99 (2): 459–
464.  doi:10.1093/jmammal/gyy014. ISSN 0022-2372.  PMC 5965405. PMID 29867255.
14. ^ Lee, Derek E. (2018-08-10). "Evaluating conservation effectiveness in a Tanzanian
community wildlife management area". The Journal of Wildlife Management. 82 (8): 1767–
1774.  doi:10.1002/jwmg.21549. ISSN 0022-541X.
15. ^ Gregory, Kim Lamb (May 10, 2014). "Mothers' nature in the animal world" Ventura County
Star