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| binomial authority = (Paul Matschie, 1898) | | binomial authority = (Paul Matschie, 1898) | ||
| status = | | status = | ||
| synonyms = ''G.c. thornicrofti'' or ''G. t. thornicrofti'' <small>( | | synonyms = ''G.c. thornicrofti'' or ''G. t. thornicrofti'' <small>(Richard Lydekker, 1911)</small> | ||
| image_caption = Rhodesian giraffe in Mfuwe, Zambia | | image_caption = Rhodesian giraffe in Mfuwe, Zambia | ||
| range_map=Masai giraffe distribution.svg | | range_map=Masai giraffe distribution.svg | ||
| range_map_caption=Range map in purple (in the south) | | range_map_caption=Range map in purple (in the south) | ||
}} | }} | ||
{{Featured article}} | |||
The '''Rhodesian giraffe''' (''Giraffa tippelskirchi,'' formerly ''Giraffa thornicrofti''), also known as '''Thornicroft’s giraffe''', is a giraffe currently deemed synonymous with the Luangwa giraffe,<ref>Wilson, and Reeder. "Giraffa camelopardalis thornicrofti." Mammal Species of the World. Bucknell University, n.d. Web. 2 May 2014. | The '''Rhodesian giraffe''' (''Giraffa tippelskirchi,'' formerly ''Giraffa thornicrofti''), also known as '''Thornicroft’s giraffe''', is a giraffe currently deemed synonymous with the Luangwa giraffe,<ref>Wilson, and Reeder. "Giraffa camelopardalis thornicrofti." Mammal Species of the World. Bucknell University, n.d. Web. 2 May 2014. | ||
</ref><ref>Fennessy, J. & Brown, D. 2010. Giraffa camelopardalis. In: IUCN 2013. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on 2 May 2014.</ref> and is a | </ref><ref>Fennessy, J. & Brown, D. 2010. Giraffa camelopardalis. In: IUCN 2013. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on 2 May 2014.</ref> and is a conspecific ecotype of the Masai giraffe.[http://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(16)30787-4] It is considered to be geographically isolated, occurring only in [[Zambia]]’s South [[Luangwa Valley]].<ref name="ReferenceA">"Giraffe – The Facts”. Giraffe Conservation Foundation. Retrieved 2010-12-21.</ref><ref name="Fennessy, Julian 2013">Fennessy, Julian, et al. "Mitochondrial DNA analyses show that Zambia's South Luangwa Valley giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis thornicrofti) are genetically isolated." African Journal of Ecology 51.4 (2013): 635–640.</ref> | ||
Formerly treated as a subspecies inside a conglomerate ''Giraffa cameleopardis'', it has been subsumed into the novel ''G. tippelskirchi'', under a re-organized ''Giraffa'' genus. An estimated 550 live in the wild, with no captive populations.[http://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(16)30787-4] The lifespan of the Rhodesian giraffe is 22 years for males and 28 years for females.<ref name="Berry, P. S. M. 2012">Berry, P. S. M., and F. B. Bercovitch. "Darkening coat colour reveals life history and life expectancy of male Thornicroft's giraffes." Journal of Zoology 287.3 (2012): 157–160.</ref> | Formerly treated as a subspecies inside a conglomerate ''Giraffa cameleopardis'', it has been subsumed into the novel ''G. tippelskirchi'', under a re-organized ''Giraffa'' genus. An estimated 550 live in the wild, with no captive populations.[http://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(16)30787-4] The lifespan of the Rhodesian giraffe is 22 years for males and 28 years for females.<ref name="Berry, P. S. M. 2012">Berry, P. S. M., and F. B. Bercovitch. "Darkening coat colour reveals life history and life expectancy of male Thornicroft's giraffes." Journal of Zoology 287.3 (2012): 157–160.</ref> | ||
The | The ecotype was originally named after Harry Scott Thornicroft,<ref name="MacDonald">{{Cite book|author=Pellow, R. A.|contribution=Giraffe and Okapi|year=2001|title=The Encyclopedia of Mammals|edition= 2nd|editor=MacDonald, D|publisher=Oxford University Press|pages=520–27|isbn=0-7607-1969-1}}</ref> a commissioner in what was then [[North-Western Rhodesia]] and later [[Northern Rhodesia]]. | ||
==Description== | ==Description== | ||
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==Conservation== | ==Conservation== | ||
''Giraffa tippelskirchi thornicrofti'' is endemic to Zambia with a population of less than 550. There are no Rhodesian giraffes in captivity. Ecotourism has played a vital role in conservation of all subspecies of giraffes, due to their popularity with tourists (Lindsey). Giraffes as a species are classified as being of | ''Giraffa tippelskirchi thornicrofti'' is endemic to Zambia with a population of less than 550. There are no Rhodesian giraffes in captivity. Ecotourism has played a vital role in conservation of all subspecies of giraffes, due to their popularity with tourists (Lindsey). Giraffes as a species are classified as being of least concern according to the IUCN, but their populations are declining.<ref>Fennessy, J. & Brown, D. 2010. Giraffa camelopardalis. In: IUCN 2013. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 02 May 2014.</ref> Their primary threats are poaching, human population growth, habitat loss, habitat fragmentation, and habitat degradation.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
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[[Category:Giraffes]] | [[Category:Giraffes]] | ||
[[Category:Mammals of Zambia]] | [[Category:Mammals of Zambia]] | ||
[[Category:Wildlife of Zambia]] |