Scientific commentary
A Giraffe’s Anatomy Revealed a Sexual Development Disorder
A male appearance and measurable testosterone did not mean that every part of the reproductive system had developed normally.
Giraffe research, explained.Page 6
The questions, fieldwork and discoveries behind giraffe science. Each story explains an original study, what it found and what remains uncertain.
Research stories
46–54 of 179 stories
Scientific commentary
Laikipia’s Giraffes Favour a Mix of Browse and Open Ground
Tracking reveals which ground giraffes choose between feeding places. Mapping those choices shows where useful habitat may become a narrow passage.
Scientific commentary
More Rain, Lower Giraffe Survival? Inside an Eight-Year Study
Rain can turn a savanna green. Whether it improves a giraffe's prospects is a different question.
Scientific commentary
Why a Giraffe’s Home Range Can Be Large or Small
A continental tracking study separates two reasons giraffes may stay within a small area: accessible food and limits on movement.
Scientific commentary
Some Giraffes Migrate While Their Neighbours Stay
Tracking and thousands of photographs uncovered a seasonal migration that involved only part of one Ugandan giraffe population.
Scientific commentary
Garamba’s Scattered Giraffes Need More Than a Count
A study of Congo’s remaining wild giraffes showed how a small population can be separated into groups with very different prospects.
Scientific commentary
How Migrating Herds May Help Giraffe Calves Survive
Wildebeest and zebra may influence giraffe calves through the lions they share, even though giraffes browse above the grass.
Scientific commentary
Testing possible futures for Tanzania's giraffes
A computer model followed individual female giraffes through 50 simulated years to ask which changing conditions could most strongly alter their future.
Scientific commentary
Why giraffes need not wait for the best birth season
A better chance for each calf can come at the cost of having fewer calves. A study of birth timing made that trade-off explicit.