Necks and networks: a preliminary study of population structure in the reticulated giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata de Winston)
Publication Type: |
Journal Article |
Year of Publication: |
2009 |
Authors: |
Bryan Shorrocks, Darren P. Croft |
Publication/Journal: |
African Journal of Ecology |
Keywords: |
group-size, kenya, reticulated giraffe, social networks, spacing |
Abstract:
This paper describes a method of scoring the neck pattern of reticulated giraffes as a simple code that can be searched for in an Excel spreadsheet. This enables several hundred individual giraffe to be recognized and repeatedly found within a database. Possible sources of error are described and quantified. Data on group size, dispersal within groups and social network patterns are described. The latter is facilitated using Ucinet 6.85 for Windows, a software package that helps to visualize and analyse such networks.