The diurnal activity budgets of giraffes were effectively studied from June 2012 until August 2013, in the Kalahari Region of southern Africa. Direct field observations identified how the daily activity budgets varied amongst the different subgroups of giraffes and the effects of seasonal changes and the time of the day. Feeding was the highest-performed activity whilst non-feeding activities were, however, also prominent. This study aimed to determine why giraffes are willing to sacrifice time on non-feeding activities. A deeper look into the social and non-feeding-related behaviour of giraffes might prove that giraffes devote significant time to various other activities to improve their health and comfort. It unveils trade-offs between digestion efficiency and foraging, impacting energy gain. Understanding this balance informs conservation strategies, habitat management and their well-being. Investigating the motivations behind these behavioural choices unveils adaptive mechanisms, shedding light on the intricate interplay between physiological and ecological needs, ultimately contributing to a holistic comprehension of giraffe's ecological roles and promoting their coexistence with their environment. Such investigations also aid in highlighting why giraffes' social structures should be considered as complex and why further research is needed to better understand these relationships, amongst subspecies.

中文翻译：

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南部非洲卡拉哈里地区长颈鹿（Giraffacamelopardalis giraffa）的每日活动预算

2012 年 6 月至 2013 年 8 月，对南部非洲卡拉哈里地区的长颈鹿的昼夜活动预算进行了有效研究。直接实地观察确定了不同长颈鹿亚群的日常活动预算如何变化，以及季节变化和一天中时间的影响。进食是表现最高的活动，而非进食活动也很突出。这项研究旨在确定为什么长颈鹿愿意牺牲时间进行非进食活动。更深入地研究长颈鹿的社交和非喂养相关行为可能会证明，长颈鹿投入大量时间进行各种其他活动，以改善其健康和舒适度。它揭示了消化效率和觅食之间的权衡，影响能量增益。了解这种平衡可以为保护策略、栖息地管理及其福祉提供信息。研究这些行为选择背后的动机揭示了适应性机制，揭示了生理和生态需求之间复杂的相互作用，最终有助于全面理解长颈鹿的生态角色并促进它们与环境的共存。此类调查还有助于强调为什么长颈鹿的社会结构应该被认为是复杂的，以及为什么需要进一步的研究来更好地理解亚种之间的这些关系。