Talk:Giraffe/Archive 1

message: To Adrian re the lefthand image location. The lower location looks silly on my screen. The higher location looks silly on your screen. I assume this is a screen res thing :(.... Pete/Pcb21 (talk) 18:07, 19 May 2004 (UTC)
thread_title:  Image location 

message: I just read this artice from the Nature Institute . Do you think its relavent? Nadiasama 02:24, 28 April 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: Very much so, yes. I think it will be tough to integrate its points, though. :-/ Ruakh 16:48, 5 May 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Long Or short necks 

message: Why does this article spell "Giraffe" with a capital G? Is that just a mistake, or is there a reason for it? Ruakh 21:14, 2 May 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: Okay, no one responded, so I changed it. Ruakh 16:31, 5 May 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Why the capital 'G'? 

message: On this website http://www.awf.org/wildlives/118 it says that there are only 7 vertebrae. Look at the very bottom of the page. 86.131.11.126 11:13, 1 October 2006 (UTC)
thread_title: Seven or 8 Vertebrae?

message: The article states: "They also have slightly elongated forelegs, about 10% longer than their hind legs. These bones produce bud-like horns called ossicones." To me that says that ossicones grow on foreleg bones. But the ossicone article and some other articles I Googled say ossicones grow on a giraffe's head. Should it be foreleg or head? Art LaPella 21:56, 6 October 2006 (UTC)
thread_title: Ossicones

message: What are they for?
DavidFarmbrough 12:41, 11 October 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Horns 

message: As I read it it's been sitting around uncited for quite a while. From the 1st para, 2nd sentence on starting with "However" etc I call it WP:OR. The 2nd paragraph is already done in the article and cited with the ref to "Robert E. Simmons and Lue Scheepers: Winning by a neck: Sexual selection in the evolution of giraffe. The American Naturalist, 148 (1996): pp. 771-786.". Wikipedia would go to the dogs if every animal article had some evolutionary commentary unless it is related to a current controversy between notable commentators (a very rare situation indeed). I don't see this with the giraffe. It does contain some snippits but these are already referenced and cited so it's an empty section really. Ttiotsw 16:08, 18 November 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Proposal to merge out the Evolutionary perspectives section and cut the [[WP:OR]]. 

message: <object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://widgets.nbc.com/o/4727a250e66f9723/495e171c43c091cb/4741e3c5156499a7/b807e227/-cpid/99cc2a66cb3082f3" id="W4727a250e66f9723495e171c43c091cb" width="384" height="283"><param name="movie" value="http://widgets.nbc.com/o/4727a250e66f9723/495e171c43c091cb/4741e3c5156499a7/b807e227/-cpid/99cc2a66cb3082f3" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><param name="allowNetworking" value="all" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /></object>< this is not true>
This article is very well written.  It touches on many fascinating topics, and is obviously NPOV.  The images are well used, and add to the article as nicely as the text.  I've place this nomination on hold, however, because of concerns over references, and suggestions that may warrant additions.  Many statements are made in the article that really need very thorough referencing.  For example, "Giraffes are thought to be mute. However, recent research has shown evidence that the animal communicates at an infrasound level."  Thought by whom?  Who did this research?  The inline citations are sporadic and, in certain sections, missing entirely.  The presence of "citation needed" templates in the text makes this unsuitable for good article status presently, but since these changes are ones that could be made easily within a week, I decided to place the nomination on hold. Furthermore, I two content concerns, but I think they are easily fixed in an article of this length, and hence I've waited before failing on this account.  Basically, my chief concern is that the first reference cited is in the infobox and lists the giraffe as threatened.  Unfortunately, this is a very loose end since there is no exploration of any sort of conservation efforts, or any mention of the actual threats facing the giraffe.  I would suggest a section dealing with human/giraffe interaction, including threats, efforts made to preserve the animal, etc. I would also suggest a section in culture and literature, though this can be done bulleted, or in summary, and is also doable in seven days, even if not as thorough as it could be (this is for good article, not featured, after all!).  I enjoyed this article! Good job to those who contributed! Cheers!  Chuchunezumi 00:47, 15 August 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: The section Other Behavior needs  revision.  It is not true that a giraffe has a "specially-adapted tongue and lips that appear to be immune to the vicious thorns [of acacia trees.]"  See a botany website (Wayne's Word) with pictures of the great big thorns in question.  The author explains that a giraffe uses its extremely long, prehensile tongue to wrap around tender acacia leaves and pluck them.  It would be most helpful to link to relevant Wayne's Word photographs (which are copyright W.P. Armstrong on his site) or to someone else who has seen African giraffes in action.  Msk49 17:34, 2 December 2006 (UTC)
thread_title: Good article nomination

message: how meny spine bones giraffe have ? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 87.68.48.212 (talk) 19:24, 7 December 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  how many spine bones giraffe have ? 

message: In the opening paragraph, the article states "Males can be 4.8 to 5.5 metres (16 to 18 feet) tall", while in teh "Physical characteristics" section, it states "Male giraffes are around 15–17 feet tall". Can someone find out what is right and correct thinsg accordingly? Tompw (talk) 14:07, 2 January 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: It's probably 48 to 50 feet tall. :P —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 64.122.208.51 (talk) 18:11, 15 January 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: Perhaps people who don't know about giraffes shouldn't contribute to articles about giraffes. Just a suggestion. Comme le Lapin 06:52, 9 February 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: In the article about The African Bush Elephant it states that the Male can be anywhere from 19-24 feet tall, much higher than what it says of the giraffe —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 69.249.148.200 (talk) 01:18, 21 February 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: That's simply incorrect. Giraffes grow as tall as 18 feet, and maybe a few inches more, while African elephants grow to a height of 13 feet. Unfortunately, 24-foot tall elephants can only be found in Tolkien. Comme le Lapin 06:54, 23 February 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: I just read the African Bush Elephant article, and the 19-24 feet you were referring to is not their height, but their length. This is correct. Comme le Lapin 07:03, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

text: Inconsistencies in the quoted weight and height are still visible throughout the article. Hesitant to edit myself as I have no idea what the correct figures should be. 220.253.154.159 (talk) 23:29, 2 December 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  Contradiction 

message: This needs a citation. The san diego zoo only says "Some people think the color is to keep the tongue from getting sunburned.", they don't say that's why its black. A stronger scientifc source for the statement in the article would be most welcome. --Matthew 02:04, 8 January 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: I don't think that's true, given as how okapis also have black tongues like giraffes, and they don't expose themselves to bright light.--Mr Fink 03:27, 8 January 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  black tongues to prevent sunburn? 

message: When baby giraffes are born, are their bones already entirely fused together or do they fuse while the baby is growing similar to human beings? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 66.243.193.254 (talk) 19:47, 20 February 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Baby Giraffes 

message: In 1827, someone brought back a Giraffe whom was named Zarafa to Paris where it roamed the city where it amazed the townspeople and royalty alike. Such an animal had almost never been seen by anyone living in Europe at the time. I feel such inforamtion is relavent and related to the article section that makes refrence to: Chinese painting of a giraffe brought by Admiral Zheng He and placed in a Ming Dynasty zoo (AD 1414)
 
*http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb4309/is_200505/ai_n15021019
*http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1511/is_11_19/ai_57564236
*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zarafa
*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medici_giraffe
--Root Beers 06:42, 6 April 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Paris 

message: Is there a reason why the taxobox is blue, not pink? Abbott75 09:52, 21 April 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: fixed. -Nunh-huh 09:55, 21 April 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Taxobox 

message: The list of land animals by size starts:
# Elephant
# Rhinoceros
# Hippopotamus
I can't find anywhere online a site that reveals what comes next in this sequence. I suspect somewhere within the next 10 ranks is the giraffe. Anyone able to know the giraffe's rank?? (If the giraffe's rank is not exactly 4, please complete this list to include everything in between.) —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Georgia guy (talk • contribs) 18:08, 1 May 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Largest land animals 

message: Recent studies by Robert Simmons and Lue Scheepers in Africa have found that giraffes do not have long necks for the sole purpose of obtaining food.  Instead, when observed most giraffes eat at shoulder level.  The long neck is a result of mating.  Male giraffes fight over females by wrapping their necks around eachother.  The one with the longer neck usually has more force and wins the right to breed with the female.  As a result the gene for the long neck increases within the population because it increases the giraffes chances for breeding. The research is fairly new in 1990. http://www.word-detective.com/howcome/giraffeneck.html.66.213.216.26 21:27, 4 May 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Reason for long necks 

message: Sauropod -- is there a way to incorporate ancestry of this creature into the article?  70.5.127.162 18:12, 17 June 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: Come again?  Sauropods and giraffes have nothing to do with each other.  Any similarities, such as their long necks, are due to convergent evolution.  -- Milo  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.171.2.42 (talk) 03:05, 6 October 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Sauropod 

message: I'm not disputing the relevance of the section, but I'm disputing the relevance of using that FP image at the right 
in Social structure and breeding habits section.I suggest using the image on the left instead.thumb|250px|left|A mother and a baby giraffe in San Francisco ZOO In my opinion the image on the left is much more relevant to both Social structure and breeding habits, than a single Giraffe's head from Melbourne Zoo. Please tell me what do you think and please explain in few words why you think this way or another. Thanks.--Mbz1 22:41, 28 July 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  The head of Giraffe from Melbourne Zoo 

message: The second sentence of the subsection on cleaning appears tangential, and the third sentence more appropriately belongs in the subsection on feeding.  The information it provides, however, is somewhat contradictory with the feeding section's claim that giraffes prefer trees of genus Mimosa because acacias form a distinct genus.  Perhaps the two claims should be integrated to state giraffes prefer trees of the subfamily Mimosoideae, which includes both.  Rriegs 09:37, 12 August 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Subsection "Cleaning" contains information on feeding 

message: Which better describs the section?
:Please remember to sign your talk posts with four tildes like this: ~~~~
:Ecology is a scientific term that contains all that lifestyle entails. As this is a zoological article, ecology is the preferred term. VanTucky (talk) 01:30, 16 August 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: Lifstyle or Ecology?

message: Do they really have horns? Yes! Other related species have antlers. Calsium deposits sound like antler. This is hard because many languages do not
have separate words. --JK  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 192.100.124.218 (talk) 10:20, 9 October 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: Giraffes and okapis have ossicones.--Mr Fink 11:55, 9 October 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: Horn /Antler

message: How many Giraffes exist in the Wild? 
Are they being conserved? How?  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.68.36.204 (talk) 21:03, 15 October 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Suggestions 

message: It seems that with the newest genetic study we maybe forced soon to rewrite the whole topic.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7156146.stm  —Preceding unsigned comment added by Wieszcz (talk • contribs) 00:30, 22 December 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  New taxonomy and naming coming soon?? 

message: "Lions are the only predators which poses a serious threat to an adult giraffe"  Are you sure "pose" takes an "s" at the end here ?
-- (unsigned)
It should be "that pose"
SimonTrew (talk) 06:07, 9 February 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  Grammar 

message: I think it's a mistake to say the giraffe's weight is "1360 kilograms" because this figure obviously comes from the "3000 pounds" conversion. All the readers understand that the "3000 pounds" weight is just a rough value (the maximum giraffe's weight is around 3000 pounds and nobody expects a precised figure) so the corresponding metric value should also be rough, for example "1400 kilograms". If we read "1360 kilograms" we should understand the maximum giraffe's weight is between 1350 and 1370 kilograms! It's practically impossible to make such measure because the giraffe makes just a blink and we get another measurement.
--MarceloPinoQuivira (talk) 13:43, 25 December 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Unit conversion 

message: Giraffe is also a musical artist based in Toronto, Ontario. <myspace.com/coffeec2kes>
St.muertay (talk) 18:05, 18 October 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: You may want to refer this matter to the talkpage of Giraffe (disambiguation) as this article's subject is purely giraffes (animals) not anything named after them.  AngelOfSadness  talk  18:08, 18 October 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Proposed addition to article "Giraffe" 

message: Has anyone noticed that Giraffe Recruitment isn't even about Giraffes? It's only for jobs.-Warriorscourge (talk) 02:57, 29 December 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Website 

message: Here is a link to an article talking about wild giraffes living in Vancouver, Canada.
http://www.thebrutaltimes.com/?p=25  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 65.126.81.90 (talk) 17:57, 14 January 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  Canadian Giraffes 

message: As well as Toys are Us Mascot.  The Giraffe is also used prominently in the logo 
of Canadian Search Engine Marketing Company Searchlinqs. This Giraffe currently has no name
but plays prominently in the branding of this company, which is emerging as a leader in that country.
Searchlinqs Giraffe
Searchengineman (talk) 15:50, 7 May 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  Arts Culture - Company Mascots. 

message: I think that the sentence 'Lions are the only predators which pose a serious threat to an adult giraffe' is incorrect. 
It should be (in my opinion), 'Lions are tho only predators who pose a serious threat to an adult giraffe'.
Also, you only gave the average height and weight for the giraffe, (both male and female). I really need to know what the length and width they are. This article doesn't contain this particular information.
Cheers, Oceanassassin (talk) 04:19, 16 July 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  Grammar and others 

message: Could somebody please at this piece of information? Thanks. -- 91.11.235.54 (talk) 21:54, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  Average length of the neck? 

message: I am confused about this sentence: "Due to the obvious social and cultural discomfort associated with the addition of milk delivery devices, animal enclosures are often enriched with other stimuli, such as food and mental distractions..."  What obvious cultural discomfort?  And what milk delivery services?  Is this supposed to mean that people are offended at the sight of an animal drinking from a bottle?  I am bewildered.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 209.184.114.135 (talk) 19:56, 10 November 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  Stereotypic Behaviors 

message: "Due to the obvious social and cultural discomfort associated with the addition of milk delivery devices"
What does this mean?  It's not obvious to me.
Why is the article locked?  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.167.68.180 (talk) 00:07, 9 December 2009 (UTC)
replies: text: I have removed that nonsense as it is total bull. It wasnt sourced and has no place in the article. ZooPro 06:00, 27 December 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  Milk delivery 

message: I would enjoy a reference to the use of Giraffe as:  In Nonviolent Communication, "giraffe language" refers to "language of the heart" because giraffes have the largest hearts of any land animal.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by Anderka (talk • contribs) 19:16, 13 December 2009 (UTC)
replies: text: This is an article about the animal, not a dictionary. This kind of material would be suitable for Wiktionary, if it can be properly attested to using sources. Fences&Windows 19:54, 13 December 2009 (UTC)
replies: text:  WTF? i agree with Fences and windows. ZooPro 06:05, 27 December 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  Giraffe use in slang - semiprotected 

message: Can we get some info on what the giraffes natural predators are, if any?  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 121.44.251.114 (talk) 07:22, 27 February 2010 (UTC)
thread_title: Predators

message: Please delete the drawing of the giraffe skeleton and move the photo up in it's place.
24.180.173.157 (talk) 01:07, 5 April 2010 (UTC)
replies: text: Makes sense to me.  Chzz  ►  01:48, 5 April 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  Edit request from 24.180.173.157, 5 April 2010 

message: I think that how the giraffe's pressure regulating system works should be explained in more detail. At each neck vertibrate there is a valve that opens when the head is raised and closes when the head is lowered. Also a sponge beneath the brain absorbs blood when the head is lowered and releases it when the head is raised. 74.77.181.199 (talk) 02:38, 13 August 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  neck circulatory system 

message: The link to Nubian Giraffe in the section subspecies redirects to the page Giraffe. Why should a page link to itself?  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.77.181.199 (talk) 02:48, 13 August 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  Links 

message: Please place an extension tag on the section about the neck. The neck needs more info and should aleast have an extension request. 
24.180.173.157 (talk) 20:07, 17 August 2010 (UTC)
replies: text: Done, but it would help other editors if you could explain more specifically what needs to be added. Dabomb87 (talk) 20:44, 17 August 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  Edit request from 24.180.173.157, 17 August 2010 

message: Under Anatomy and Morphology, it is stated that "Wild giraffes have a lifespan close to 13 years while those in captivity live up to 25 years."
Under Reproduction, it is stated that "the life expectancy is between 20 and 25 years in the wild and 28 years in captivity."
It would probably be wise to assess the sources and decide which carries the more accurate information.
JCRBOY (talk) 07:46, 5 October 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  Lifespan discrepancy 

message: In the subspecies section one of the photos is mistakenly listed as G. c. peralta. This is incorrect, as there are no real G. c. peralta in European zoos. The ones formerly believed to be this subspecies are now known to be G. c. antiquorum (Kordofan Giraffe). This has been established through genetic work (for details, see Kordofan Giraffe or last part of West African Giraffe#Subspecies definition, with the specific reference). Either the caption should be corrected to G. c. antiquorum, or the photo should be changed to one showing the real G. c. peralta (there are currently three real G. c. peralta in commons: :File:Giraffe 5.jpg, :File:Giraffe koure niger 2006.jpg and :File:Giraffe-solo Koure-NIGER.jpg). 
212.10.95.14 (talk) 20:48, 16 October 2010 (UTC)
replies: text: Done Thanks, Stickee (talk) 00:17, 23 October 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  Incorrect photo caption 

message: There is something odd about these numbers. If the mean sleep is 1.9 hours, and the range is 10min to 2 hrs, then the lower values must be very rare, or just wrong.  In addition, the cited reference only reports the mean, not the range.  I have edited to report only the mean. Mukogodo (talk) 06:20, 3 January 2011 (UTC)
replies: text: . Changed to correct sleep numbers and cited. ZooPro 07:11, 3 January 2011 (UTC)
thread_title:  Giraffe sleep 

message: citing reference 34: the first author's surname should be changed from van Stittert to van Sittert
Burnmeister (talk) 06:40, 17 March 2011 (UTC)
replies: text: Thanks I will perform that after I confirm the change is correct. Cheers ZooPro 08:20, 17 March 2011 (UTC)
replies: text: . ZooPro 08:26, 17 March 2011 (UTC)
thread_title:  Edit request from Burnmeister, 17 March 2011 

message: It is not roman but greek. Camelopardalis (Greek: Καμηλοπάρδαλις) from Camel (Greek: Κάμηλος) and Pardalis (Greek: Πάρδαλις, ), due to having a long neck and face like a camel and many colors and/or spots like a Leopard.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 92.22.124.42 (talk) 21:08, 17 March 2011 (UTC)
thread_title:  name camelopardalis 

message: Minor grammar edit
In the section, Social structure and breeding habits the following sentence should be changed for grammatical reasons:
"Males prefer younger females, possibly became the latter are more fertile"
It should likely read:
"Males prefer younger females, possibly because the latter are more fertile"
Rbouchoux (talk) 19:02, 7 April 2011 (UTC)
replies: text: Thanks for catching that. OhNoitsJamie Talk 19:43, 7 April 2011 (UTC)
thread_title:  Edit request from Rbouchoux, 7 April 2011 

message: Hello! This is a note to let the editors of this article know that :File:Giraffe feeding, Tanzania.jpg will be appearing as picture of the day on October 12, 2011. You can view and edit the POTD blurb at Template:POTD/2011-10-12. If this article needs any attention or maintenance, it would be preferable if that could be done before its appearance on the Main Page so Wikipedia doesn't look bad. :) Thanks! howcheng  {chat} 17:37, 11 October 2011 (UTC)
thread_title:  [[:File:Giraffe feeding, Tanzania.jpg]] to appear as POTD soon 

message: Female giraffes bare the sole reasonability for the raising of their young.
"Bare" should be "bear"; "reasonability" should be "responsibility."  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.205.23.137 (talk) 09:57, 8 November 2011 (UTC)
thread_title:  Edit request 

message: There's a typo:
says "movie" when it should be "move"
142.167.187.169 (talk) 19:21, 10 February 2012 (UTC)
replies: text: , thanks for pointing it out--Jac16888 Talk 20:12, 10 February 2012 (UTC)
thread_title:  Edit request on 10 February 2012 

message: Right, as per the last FAC, concerns were raised over the closeness of wording to the sources. What we need to do is check off each source. Once checked, the source can be noted here. Casliber (talk · contribs) 06:38, 25 February 2012 (UTC)
replies: text: I already re-paraphased the sources I have available, but I have a problem with the last two cites for [12]. LittleJerry (talk) 15:36, 25 February 2012 (UTC)
replies: text: I guess you mean "de-paraphrased (?)" - "European hunters hunted them" is way different to "With the coming of the white man many more giraffe were killed" (unless I am missing something). I am trying to find the second last cite bit of info.... Casliber (talk · contribs) 13:25, 26 February 2012 (UTC)
replies: text: My mistake, I meant the second-to-last two. Where it talks about how the giraffe parts where used. The info is not that far above the white men hunting giraffes. LittleJerry (talk) 16:39, 26 February 2012 (UTC)
replies: text: OK FN 12 is now FN 13...but which one of the inlines was to check for paraphrasing? Casliber (talk · contribs) 02:26, 13 March 2012 (UTC)
replies: text: This line Flyswatters, braclets, necklaces and thread were made from the tail hair;[10]:337[14] shields, sandals and drums from the skin and the strings of musical instruments from the tendons. LittleJerry (talk) 03:21, 13 March 2012 (UTC)
thread_title:  Source spotchecking 

message: The second paragraph in the intro contains the following sentence:
"Adult giraffes do not have strong social bonds, though they do gather in loose aggregations if they happen to be moving same general direction."
Please insert "in the" between "moving same"
Secret Snelk (talk) 16:15, 21 April 2012 (UTC)
replies: text: Thanks! Nageh (talk) 00:06, 22 April 2012 (UTC)
thread_title:  Edit Request on 21 April 2012 

message: Article would be nice with a map showing the old range (I guess pre guns) and the current one.  Show the shrinkage.  Not just the subspecies.
64.134.168.97 (talk) 06:43, 24 June 2012 (UTC)
thread_title:  range? 

message: So, how many giraffes are there in the wild in total, approximately? This doesn't appear in the article.. it seems like a pretty basic thing that one would hope a featured article might have. Also, it would be nice to compare it to the approximate number of elephants. Thank you. 24.84.4.202 (talk) 02:59, 26 July 2012 (UTC)
replies: text: It states it in the very last sentence. LittleJerry (talk) 18:16, 29 July 2012 (UTC)
thread_title:  Total numbers? 

message: Hello! This is a note to let the editors of this article know that :File:Giraffe Mikumi National Park.jpg will be appearing as picture of the day on January 27, 2013. You can view and edit the POTD blurb at Template:POTD/2013-01-27. If this article needs any attention or maintenance, it would be preferable if that could be done before its appearance on the Main Page so Wikipedia doesn't look bad. :) Thanks! —howcheng  {chat} 17:37, 25 January 2013 (UTC)
thread_title:  [[:File:Giraffe Mikumi National Park.jpg]] to appear as POTD soon 

message: The average male body mass is listed is 1600 kg in the current wikipedia page. This is definitely not average - it is a rather heavy bull. J.D. Skinner and C.T. Chimimba lists the average male mass as 1192 kg (range 973-1395 kg), and the average female mass as 828 kg (range 703.0-950 kg) (2005. Mammals of the Southern African Subregion, Third Edition. Cambridge University Press, Cape Town South Africa).
Accordingly, Mitchell, van Sittert and Skinner (2009. Sexual selection is not the origin of the long neck in giraffes. Journal of Zoology vol 278 pp 281-286) list their giraffe male sample as ranging from 188-1512 kg. In the sample of Van Sittert, Skinner and Mitchell (2010. Journal of Experimental Zoology Part B. 134B pp 469 - 479) the masses were given as ranging from 184 to 1413 kg. 
Therefore, I would agree with Skinner and Chimimba's statements about the average mass of male (1191.8 kg)  and female (828 kg) giraffes.
Burnmeister (talk) 19:18, 3 April 2013 (UTC)
replies: text: Fixed. Thank you. LittleJerry (talk) 17:50, 7 April 2013 (UTC)
thread_title:  Edit request: Male body mass 

message: In Taxonomy\Subspecies, one finds the following entry for the Rhodesian giraffe:
"The Rhodesian giraffe, G. c. thornicrofti, named for Harry Scott Thornicroft, is also called the Rhodesian giraffe; it is restricted to the Luangwa Valley in eastern Zambia. No more than 1,500 remain in the wild, with none kept in zoos."
In the stub on the Rhodesian giraffe, one finds that the subspecies is also called the Thornicroft giraffe; I'd suggest that the entry here be changed to remove the bolded redundancy and possibly also reflect the fact that the subspecies has multiple common names. I'd change such trivia myself, but, you know, semi-protection lock-down being what it is... 130.132.173.179 (talk) 04:10, 30 October 2013 (UTC)
replies: text: , thank you. Thryduulf (talk) 13:12, 30 October 2013 (UTC)
thread_title:  Edit request on 30 October 2013 

message: Can someone take a look at this sandbox article and see how it can be improved? Is the quality of the article sufficient enough for it to be a sub-page of the main giraffe article?  —Preceding undated comment added 15:28, 27 November 2013 (UTC)
replies: text: No. 174.124.247.225 (talk) 17:30, 1 January 2014 (UTC)
thread_title:  Approval Request - "Giraffe Fighting" 

message: I'm surprised there's no pronunciation at the start of this article, not sure if it's pronounced "djiraff" or "djiraff-ee" in english, in french the e at the end (une girafe) is not pronounced but I'm pretty sure I've heard it in english  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 216.221.58.138 (talk) 04:47, 4 March 2014 (UTC)
thread_title:  phonetics? 

message: In the "History and cultural significance" section, at the end of the paragraph on presence in modern culture, it may be worth adding that the "Imguraffe" is the mascot of the popular image hosting website imgur.com. See for reference http://imgur.com/blog/2012/03/31/introducing-the-imguraffe/.
Starvegal (talk) 17:38, 9 March 2014 (UTC)
replies: text: Not done: too trivial - we don't want to start a list of every use of a giraffe in a company logo. - Arjayay (talk) 18:13, 9 March 2014 (UTC)
thread_title:  Semi-protected edit request on 9 March 2014 

message: The see also section at the bottom of the article mentions safety with power wires.
Is this a joke, or something that was mentioned in the article that I might have missed?
Just curious about it...
88.105.199.153 (talk) 22:20, 30 July 2014 (UTC)
replies: text: Very strange.  The only thing I can think of why these two topics would be related would possibly be that giraffes may have an increased risk of running into power lines.--Mr Fink (talk) 22:44, 30 July 2014 (UTC)
thread_title:  "See Also" section 

message: I think that it is important to further explore these two hypotheses regarding the adaptation that is the neck of the giraffe.  It is important to add a counter argument to the "competing browsers" hypothesis by stating the following: There are a number of strong arguments against the competing browsers hypothesis in that giraffe spend fifty percent or more of their time feeding at or below shoulder height.  The heavy majority of the time that males are seen foraging with a fully extended neck is when they are in a dominant role among a group of females." Hanna.225 (talk) 17:41, 1 October 2014 (UTC)
thread_title:  Edit request Necks 

message: The article links to well-known countries, contrary to WP:OVERLINK. I have left it so (but will remove any duplicated links) recognising that it may help readers who don't know exactly where all the African countries are, but be aware that this may be challenged at FAC. --Stfg (talk) 12:22, 20 November 2011 (UTC)
thread_title: Overlink

message: In the Subspecies section, I've placed one  tag, but could probably have placed 20. All statments about estimated populations in the wild, and zoo populations, need to be qualified as to when. This would definitely be picked up at FAC. --Stfg (talk)
:What if "it is estimated" is removed and the text simply states that those are there population numbers. LittleJerry (talk) 15:25, 20 November 2011 (UTC)
replies: text: You might be shot at dawn :-) The point is that animal populations change, both in the wild and in zoos, therefore they are information that will date. Let me finish the rest of the edit first, then I'll see if I can think of a way to avoid having 20 s. The sources for the population estimates are mostly the same for all the subspecies, so it should be possible. --Stfg (talk) 19:13, 20 November 2011 (UTC)
replies: text: I've changed "Currently nine subspecies are recognized" to "Up to nine subspecies are recognized", because the sources vary (e.g. MSW3 only lists six). This is less likely to date overnight, and better reflects the uncertainties described in the previous sentences. Immediately afterwards I've added a parenthesis about the populations, using , stating 2010 because that is the access date currently given for the references used. I didn't check whether the 2011 ISIS has different figures. For Al Ain zoo, since 2003 is quite old, I've inserted an extra ref to their web site, confirming that they still have some Nubian giraffes. I hope this covers it. --Stfg (talk) 14:04, 21 November 2011 (UTC)
thread_title: Dated statements

message: I've removed incorrect wikilinks. In the present context, these notations refer to thoracic/cervical vertebrae, not spinal nerves. --Stfg (talk) 15:17, 20 November 2011 (UTC)
thread_title: Notation T1, T2, C7 etc

message: In the neck section, we have "This advantage is real as giraffes can and do feed up to 5 m, while most of their competitors, kudu, can only feed up to about 2 meters (6 ft 7 in).[35]". I can only get the abstract for ref 35, and it doesn't clarify this, but I don't believe that kudu are "most" of giraffes' competitors. Perhaps not even their closest competitors - gerenuk can reach higher, can't they? - and what about elephants? Ref 35 is only considering three of the competitors: kudu, steenbok (tiny!) and impala. Please could someone check out what ref 35 is really saying, and clarify it?  --Stfg (talk) 15:32, 20 November 2011 (UTC)
replies: text: I found the full article here. It also mentions elephants. Will you add it in or should I? LittleJerry (talk) 19:47, 20 November 2011 (UTC)
replies: text: Well found. Because the paper discusses so few species, and draws such tentative conclusions, I don't feel it's justified to cite it to support statements about "most" of their competitors. But perhaps common sense would let us change "most of ther competitors, kudu" (which doesn't quite make sense anyway) into "even quite large competitors, such as kudu". What do you think? If you're OK with this, I'm happy to do it. --Stfg (talk) 21:15, 20 November 2011 (UTC)
replies: text: Go ahead. LittleJerry (talk) 21:52, 20 November 2011 (UTC)
replies: text: Done. Thanks for putting the URL in the cite. --Stfg (talk) 11:23, 21 November 2011 (UTC)
thread_title: Please check statement

message: ... for ref 55 (ref name="Prothero 2003"). (In the Cultural significance section, 2nd para, I wanted to check whether "Arab travelers" means travelers who were Arabs, or travelers (of unspecified nationality) in Arabia, but page numbers are needed for all four uses). --Stfg (talk) 11:23, 21 November 2011 (UTC)
replies: text: (My silly oversight.) --Stfg (talk) 13:28, 21 November 2011 (UTC)
thread_title: 
Page nembers needed ...


message: ::Mention of the legal status of the giraffe in Tanzania ("and is protected by law.[74] Unathorised killing can result in imprisonment.[75]") should be moved from "History and cultural significance" to "Exploitation and conservation status".
155.138.243.110 (talk) 16:14, 18 January 2015 (UTC)
replies: text: Done Thank you.  Mlpearc (open channel) 17:25, 18 January 2015 (UTC)
thread_title:  Semi-protected edit request on 18 January 2015 

message: I made an image with the fur patterns of the nine subspecies. Any use for that in the article? Amada44  talk to me 07:48, 5 October 2015 (UTC)
thread_title:  fur pattern 

message: The article contains a claim about the giraffe having a rete mirabile that defends it from blood pressure changes when the head is lowered and raised. According to this question/answer on quora this may not be what's happening. Can someone verify that this source is reliable?  — Preceding unsigned comment added by Nitzanms (talk • contribs) 07:20, 7 October 2015 (UTC)
thread_title:  Source check 

message: I request the addition of a brief summary of the giraffe genome sequence published May 17, 2016 in Nature Communications. I am the corresponding author. I recommend that this be added to the end of the section on "Taxonomy and Evolution". The recommended text to add is as follows:
The Masai giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi) genome is 2.9Gb in length [ref#] whereas its closest extant relative, Okapi (Okapia johnstoni) genome length is 3.3Gb [ref#]. Giraffe and okapi genes are highly similar overall with 19.4% of proteins being identical [ref#]. Giraffe and okapi genes are equally distantly related to cattle, suggesting that giraffe’s unique characteristics are not due to an overall faster rate of evolution. The divergence of time of giraffe and okapi from a common ancestor is estimated to be 11.5 mya [ref#]. Comparative genomic analysis identified a small group of regulatory genes in giraffe that may be responsible for giraffe's stature and associated cardiovascular adaptations [ref#].
Reference: 
<ref> Agaba M, Ishengoma E, Miller WC, McGrath BC, Hudson CN, Bedoya Reina OC, Ratan A, Burhans R, Chikhi R, Medvedev P, Praul CA, Wu-Cavener L, Wood B, Robertson H, Penfold L, Cavener DR. (2016) "Giraffe genome sequence reveals clues to its unique morphology and physiology." Nat Commun. 2016 May 17;7:11519. doi: 10.1038/ncomms11519. PMID: 27187213 <ref>
71.58.72.154 (talk) 01:01, 19 May 2016 (UTC)
replies: text: Thanks, and  Done, with minor tweaks to improve readability for a general audience.  Always a pleasure to see a practising scientist take the time to contribute to Wikipedia. Adrian J. Hunter(talk•contribs) 09:10, 21 May 2016 (UTC)
thread_title:  Semi-protected edit request on 19 May 2016 

message: LittleJerry has reverted my deletion of the catalogue of African names for the giraffe under "Etymology", saying "Native names important."  Pursuant to WP:BRD, I invite her or him (and anybody else who's interested) to discuss that decision here.  Why is an undifferentiated catalogue of foreign names for an animal important for English Wikipedia?  What is it but a collection of trivia?  Does the article, Deer, include an assortment of European, Asian, and Amerindian words for deer? Should it?
If such a catalogue should exist at all, which I think unlikely, why should it be given under "Etymology", when none of those names has any historical connection with the word, giraffe?  J. D. Crutchfield | Talk 21:24, 27 May 2016 (UTC)
replies: text: If the people building the deer article what to include non-English names for deer then they are free to do so. There are plenty of articles that include native names for animals, including Koala. LittleJerry (talk) 22:18, 27 May 2016 (UTC)
replies: text: LittleJerry fails to answer any of my questions, as well as to support his or her assertion that the native words for giraffe are "important".  Other than to speakers of those languages, why are those words important?  Specifically, why are they important to readers of English Wikipedia?  Compare Lion, Bear, Bison, Gazelle. J. D. Crutchfield | Talk 23:25, 27 May 2016 (UTC)
replies: text: Why are these words important? Hmm... maybe because they come from the languages of the people who live with them? LittleJerry (talk) 00:32, 28 May 2016 (UTC)
replies: text: Which would matter if this were Kihehe Wikipedia, but it's not.  It's English Wikipedia.  Providing the Luo word for giraffe doesn't add to our understanding of the history of the English word (or of the Latin and Greek words used by English-speaking scientists to classify giraffes).  It is not etymology:  it's trivia.  If it were important to list the words for giraffe in the languages of the people who live with them, it would surely be important to include the Khoikhoi word, but you haven't.  What about the Setswana word?  The Afan Oromoo word?  On what basis do you discriminate?  J. D. Crutchfield | Talk 20:09, 30 May 2016 (UTC)

text: None of those words are available. LittleJerry (talk) 03:09, 31 May 2016 (UTC)
replies: text: Those words certainly are available to anybody who can be bothered to go to a good library!  Let's be inclusive and not Western-centric, but only if we don't have to get up from our computers!  J. D. Crutchfield | Talk 20:08, 1 June 2016 (UTC)
thread_title:  African words for "giraffe"