Necks and networks: a preliminary study of population structure in the reticulated giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata de Winston)

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. Resume Cet article decrit une methode pour noter le pattern du cou des girafes reticulees comme un code simple qui peut etre consulte dans un tableau Excel. Cela permet de reconnaitre individuellement plusieurs centaines de girafes et de les retrouver facilement dans une base de donnees. Plusieurs sources d’erreurs sont decrites et quantifiees. Les donnees sur la taille des groupes, la dispersion entre les groupes, et les schemas de reseau social sont decrits. Ce dernier est facilite par l’utilisation d’Ucinet 6.85 pour Windows, un progiciel qui vous aide a visualiser et a analyser de tels reseaux.

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