Giraffe Weight Estimation Using Dissected Leg Weight and Body Measurements

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Abstract
Data from 44 adult giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis) showed that leg weight as a percentage of body weight is sufficiently constant to provide regression equations useful for estimating body or carcass weight. Data from 53 giraffes of various ages show that reliable estimates of body weight can be made from linear body measurements, regardless of sex or age. The best for field use are linear regressions between body weight and chest girth; however, shoulder height is usually the only measurement obtained from predator kills and this can also be used. Measures of the volume of the animals such as length .times. girth2 and log transformations give superior correlations.