Author : Lynda Rutledge
Genre : Fiction
Publisher : Lake Union Publishing
ISBN : 1542023343
Type book : PDF, Epub, Kindle and Mobi
File Download : 372 page
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1938: The Great Depression lingers. Hitler is threatening Europe, and world-weary Americans long for wonder. They find it in two giraffes who miraculously survive a hurricane while crossing the Atlantic. What follows is a twelve-day road trip in a custom truck to deliver Southern California’s first giraffes to the San Diego Zoo. Behind the wheel is the young Dust Bowl rowdy Woodrow Wilson Nickel. Present day: At 105, Woody feels his life ebbing away. When he learns giraffes are going extinct, he finds himself recalling an experience he cannot take to his grave. In retelling his story, he explores what it means to be changed by the grace of animals, the kindness of strangers, and the passing of time. -- adapted from jacket

Author : Graham Mitchell
Genre : Science
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN : 9780197571217
Type book : PDF, Epub, Kindle and Mobi
File Download : 609 page
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There are few creatures more beautiful, aloof, and fascinating than giraffes. Their social and ecological impact has been documented by many researchers. However, the inner workings of extant giraffes are less well known. That is why Graham Mitchell decided to write How Giraffes Work: a comprehensive overview of the anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry--in short, the normal functions--of a free-living, wild animal in its natural environment. A zoologist, veterinarian, and physiologist, Mitchell explains how giraffes get through their day. Additionally, he takes readers through the evolution of their physical characteristics, such as their size, shape, and coat markings. His approach integrates history with the physiology, anatomy, biochemistry, behavior, evolution, genetics, ecology, climate science, and more. Each chapter follows the discovery and utility of a different characteristic of giraffes. Illustrated with over two hundred figures and diagrams, the book explains how giraffes might have evolved and survived over many millions of years as well as how our perception of them has changed throughout history. So, how do giraffes work? The answers lie in a story filled not only with the details of their internal working but also with the labors of the extraordinary scientists who have put so many pieces of this puzzle together.

Author : Barbara Keevil Parker
Genre : Juvenile Nonfiction
Publisher : Lerner Publications
ISBN : 1575053462
Type book : PDF, Epub, Kindle and Mobi
File Download : 76 page
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Describes the physical characteristics, life cycle, habitat, and behavior of giraffes, as well as efforts to protect them.

Author : Bryan Shorrocks
Genre : Science
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
ISBN : 9781118587447
Type book : PDF, Epub, Kindle and Mobi
File Download : 232 page
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Provides a comprehensive overview of one of nature's most engaging mammals Covers fossil history, taxonomy, genetics, physiology, biomechanics, behavior, ecology, and conservation Includes genetic analysis of five of the six subspecies of modern giraffes Includes giraffe network studies from Laikipia Kenya, Etosha National Park, Namibia andSamburu National Reserve, Kenya

Author : Tanya Anderson
Genre : Young Adult Nonfiction
Publisher : Twenty-First Century Books ™
ISBN : 9781541572232
Type book : PDF, Epub, Kindle and Mobi
File Download : 128 page
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Quietly, without most people noticing, the population of giraffes in the wild has decreased by nearly 40 percent since 1985. Giraffes have disappeared entirely from seven countries where they used to live. Researchers believe fewer than 98,000 exist in the wild—fewer even than endangered African elephants. In 2016, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature added giraffes to the organization's Red List of Threatened Species. What is causing their disappearance? Overpopulation of humans in giraffe habitats and illegal poaching. Learn about giraffes' physical characteristics, habitats, and life cycles; examine the dangers they face from humans and climate change; and meet the scientists working to save these gentle giants using technology and conservation efforts.

Author : Anne Innis Dagg
Genre : Science
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
ISBN : 9781107729445
Type book : PDF, Epub, Kindle and Mobi
File Download : 260 page
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With its iconic appearance and historic popular appeal, the giraffe is the world's tallest living terrestrial animal and the largest ruminant. Recent years have seen much-needed new research undertaken to improve our understanding of this unique animal. Drawing together the latest research into one resource, this is a detailed exploration of current knowledge on the biology, behaviour and conservation needs of giraffe. Dagg highlights striking new data, covering topics such as species classification, the role of infrasound in communication, biological responses to external temperature changes and motherly behaviour and grief. The book discusses research into behaviour alongside practical information on captive giraffe, including diet, stereotypical behaviour, ailments and parasites, covering both problems and potential solutions associated with zoo giraffe. With giraffe becoming endangered species in Africa, the book ultimately focuses on efforts to halt population decline and the outlook for conservation measures.

Author : Nicole Helget
Genre : Juvenile Nonfiction
Publisher : The Creative Company
ISBN : 1583416544
Type book : PDF, Epub, Kindle and Mobi
File Download : 46 page
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Introduces giraffes, discussing their physical characteristics, eating habits, behavior, habitat, life cycle, and efforts being made to ensure their future.

Author : Jonathan Kingdon
Genre : Nature
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN : 9781472921352
Type book : PDF, Epub, Kindle and Mobi
File Download : 640 page
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Jonathan Kingdon, one of the world's foremost authorities on African mammals, has both written and illustrated this landmark field guide. The unique combination of his extensive field experience and artistic talent has produced a stunning work that sets new standards. The concise text provides full information on identification, distribution, ecology, relationships and conservation status, with introductory profiles that summarise the characteristics of each mammal group. All known species of African land mammal are covered, with coverage of several of the more complex groups of small mammals simplified by reference to genera. Classification has been fully updated and this new edition includes many newly recognised species. With over 780 colour illustrations, numerous line drawings and more than 520 maps, this book will be an essential companion to anyone visiting Africa or with an interest in the mammals of the continent. Competition note: There are regional mammal books covering southern Africa, for example, but none that covers the whole continent in a portable format. The smaller-format and more concise Kingdon Pocket Guide to African Mammals may be more appealing to a more general safari market, but is much less comprehensive and more out of date.

Author : Wolf-Ekkehard Lönnig
Genre : Evolution
Publisher : MV-Verlag
ISBN : 9783869914718
Type book : PDF, Epub, Kindle and Mobi
File Download : 146 page
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"Darwin (1871) and many African folk legends before him [...] proposed a simple but powerful explanation for the large and elongated shape. Long necks allowed giraffe to outreach presumed competitors, particularly during dry-season bottlenecks when leaves become scarce; (Simmons and Scheepers). However, this old African folk legend which is still commonly taught in high schools, fails to explain, among other things, the size differences between males and females. Giraffe cows are up to 1.5 meters shorter than the giraffe bulls, not to mention the offspring. The wide migration range of the giraffe and the low heights of the most common plants in their diet likewise argue against the dominant selection hypothesis. Also: 1) The fossil "links," which according to the theory should appear successively and replace each other, usually exist simultaneously for long periods of time. 2) Evolutionary derivations based on similarities rely on circular reasoning. 3) The giraffe has eigh t cervical vertebrae. Although the 8th vertebra displays almost all the characteristics of a neck vertebra, as an exception to the rule the first rib pair is attached there. 4) The origin of the long-necked giraffe by a macromutation is, due to the many synorganized structures, extremely improbable. 5) Sexual selection also lacks a mutational basis and, what is more, is frequently in conflict with natural selection ("head clubbing" is probably "a consequence of a long neck and not a cause"; see also Mitchell et al. 2009). 6) In contrast to the thus-far proposed naturalistic hypotheses, the intelligent design theory is basically testable. 7) The long-necked giraffes possibly all belong to the same basic type inasmuch as 8) a gradual evolution from the short-necked to the long-necked giraffe is ruled out by the duplication of a neck vertebra and the loss of a thoracic vertebra. 9) Chance mutations are principally not sufficient to explain the origin of the long-necked giraffe. 10) The intelligent design theory offers an adequate and satisfying solution to the problems and points to numerous "old" and new research projects. 11) Mitchell and Skinner present a good analysis of the selectionist problem; however, their phylogenetic hypotheses presuppose the correctness of the synthetic evolutionary theory, and their claims of "intermediate forms" are unproven (similarly summary Part 2). Part 1 shows why Dawkins and Kutschera are wrong. The scientific facts speak for design."

Author : Jonathan Kingdon
Genre : Nature
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN : 9781472983206
Type book : PDF, Epub, Kindle and Mobi
File Download : 304 page
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Originally published in 2004, the Kingdon Pocket Guide to African Mammals quickly became the field guide of choice to take on African safaris. Its compact format makes it ideal for use in the field, while its coverage is the most comprehensive currently possible in this format. Adapted from the Kingdon Field Guide to African Mammals, the greatly condensed text focuses on essential information such as identification and distribution, while the author's superb illustrations have been rearranged into an easy-to-use plate format and placed opposite the text. Complex and more obscure groups like the bats and certain rodent families are summarised by genera. Over 500 maps plot the distribution of all larger species, and for smaller mammals the maps show distribution by genus. This is a completely revised second edition of this popular guide. The information and taxonomy have been updated to follow the newly published second edition of the Kingdon Field Guide to African Mammals (2015), and this new edition of the pocket guide contains several new species and illustrations. The maps have been completely replaced and there are now 200 more maps than in the original edition.