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Full-Text Articles in Animal Sciences
Social Behavior In A Herd Of Captive Male Giraffes, Patrick Ziarnowski, Kaidi Fenrich
Social Behavior In A Herd Of Captive Male Giraffes, Patrick Ziarnowski, Kaidi Fenrich
The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal
Giraffes (Giraffa spp.) are a common feature of zoological institutions, where conditions differ from those of the wild, a reality that may cause behavioral changes. A recent management technique has been to house all-male herds in zoos that have not been selected for giraffe breeding, with breeding confined to certain zoos. To date, no studies have looked at social behavior in captive herds comprised exclusively of males. In a herd of one adult (named Emba) and two subadult male giraffes (named Rafiki and Gage), the dominant adult giraffe, Emba, demonstrated sociosexual behavior—apparent courtship, investigation, and flehmen responses—almost exclusively …
Small Mammal Response To The Gunnison's Prairie Dog Reintroduction, Melissa Ariella Paduani
Small Mammal Response To The Gunnison's Prairie Dog Reintroduction, Melissa Ariella Paduani
The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal
The Gunnison's Prairie Dog (GPD, Cynomys gunnisoni) is an herbivorous, burrowing rodent that was extirpated from the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge in the 1930's by ranchers to make land available for grazing livestock. Currently, the GPD is the subject of a long-term reintroduction experiment overseen by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The burrowing and feeding habits of the GPD influences an ecosystem's biotic and abiotic factors significantly, making this species a keystone ecosystem engineer that plays a vital role creating heterogeneous mosaics of habitat. Their presence is correlated with diverse biological communities and maintenance of grassland ecosystems. To better …