Tennessee zoo says it has welcomed a rare spotless giraffe

August 23, 2023 10:11 AM

A zoo in Tennessee says it has welcomed a rare giraffe that does not have any spots. The spotless giraffe was born at Brights Zoo in Limestone, Tennessee, on July 31 and the zoo says experts believe she is the only solid-colored reticulated giraffe on the planet.
posted by Etrigan (27 comments total)

Spot.
posted by slater at 10:18 AM on August 23, 2023 [10 favorites]

I hope the other giraffes don't discriminate against them. Or is that only humans who discriminate against other humans that don't look like them?

Something about leopards and changing spots...
posted by JohnnyGunn at 10:24 AM on August 23, 2023

I absolutely hope the other giraffes discriminate against this little try-hard. Oh look at me, I'm a rare giraffe, nyah. Shut up, you dumb baby!
posted by Pickman's Next Top Model at 10:31 AM on August 23, 2023 [8 favorites]

I assume they mean non-reticulated.
posted by bq at 10:33 AM on August 23, 2023 [3 favorites]

I echo slater. Spot! Not spotless, just one full-body spot!
posted by SPrintF at 10:38 AM on August 23, 2023 [9 favorites]

In Sociobiology, E. O. Wilson says predators will preferentially attack animals which stand out from the group even if the unusual animal has characteristics which would otherwise make it harder to take down.
posted by jamjam at 10:41 AM on August 23, 2023 [1 favorite]

TIL that giraffes are brown with white-ish markings, and not white with brown spots
posted by nushustu at 10:54 AM on August 23, 2023 [5 favorites]

Let me approximately recount the work Slack channel conversation on this from yesterday:
(a) Someone posts the four approved possible names for the giraffe. "Spotty McSpotface" is not approved.
(b) Someone says "those names suck." Someone else snarks, "tell us what you really think!"
(c) I suggest if I was naming it, I'd give it a non-spot name.
(d) Someone suggests a name that equates to "spotless."
(e) Me: "See, that's already more appropriate than the official options" (all of which are along the lines of "unique" or "beautiful" and do not comment on spots or lack thereof).
(f) Someone brings up that this only happens with well, inbreeding.
(g) Someone else calls it "just a very creative horse," others suggest "upgraded donkey" or "unicorn, but the horn's all in the neck" (okay, that last one was me).
posted by jenfullmoon at 10:57 AM on August 23, 2023 [6 favorites]

I don’t know what you all are going in about. I spotted that giraffe immediately. It’s right there!

All of the rest of you missed the gorilla, I bet.
posted by GenjiandProust at 11:09 AM on August 23, 2023 [15 favorites]

When the Star-Belly giraffes went out to play ball,
Could a Plain Belly get in the game... ? Not at all.
You only could play if your bellies had stars.
And the Plain Belly children had none upon thars.

I propose they should cut straight to the happy ending and name her Sneetch.
posted by Mchelly at 11:13 AM on August 23, 2023 [1 favorite]

(d) Someone suggests a name that equates to "spotless."

Very possibly in an indigenous language from some place where giraffes are a native species.
posted by box at 11:15 AM on August 23, 2023

In Sociobiology, E. O. Wilson says predators will preferentially attack animals which stand out from the group even if the unusual animal has characteristics which would otherwise make it harder to take down.

Sure, but this is a baby giraffe born into a zoo in Tennessee. Presumably they don't routinely release the lions into the giraffe pen and see who makes it out alive.

I don't really see any reason that other giraffes are likely to pay much attention. No one is entirely sure why giraffes are spotted, but the only proposed social function a quick pass has been able to show me is that they might serve as a marker of individual identity--at which point this calf is well covered, since her 'spotting' pattern is plenty unique. (Linked study is on Masai giraffes and finds some mixed evidence for social assortative interactions among giraffes with similar spot patterns, but the introduction is useful as a grounding on what we know about giraffe spotting, relationships among giraffes, and giraffe social behavior.)

Why Do Animals Do the Thing? had some good industry commentary on what the zoo might do with this giraffe and whether or not she'll remain in the conservation breeding population.
posted by sciatrix at 11:25 AM on August 23, 2023 [2 favorites]

Interesting that they don’t mention the other planets. 🛸
posted by Devils Rancher at 11:26 AM on August 23, 2023 [1 favorite]

Is this awesome? You bet giraffe!
posted by seanmpuckett at 11:38 AM on August 23, 2023 [5 favorites]

They could call it 'The Great Red' — 'Red', for short.
posted by jamjam at 11:51 AM on August 23, 2023 [1 favorite]

the giraffe can't change her spots. oh, she did! good for her!

(with apologies to Jack Handey)
posted by dismas at 11:53 AM on August 23, 2023

Well, this thread is certainly circling the drain.
posted by y2karl at 12:31 PM on August 23, 2023

That giraffe should be the new Coppertone mascot, it's clearly been working diligently on its tan.
posted by Greg_Ace at 12:52 PM on August 23, 2023

I immediately named it "awww lookit da babby" which I think is appropriate.
posted by maxwelton at 1:26 PM on August 23, 2023 [3 favorites]

I would name her "very pleasant shade of medium brown" if that's a word in some language.
posted by Nancy Lebovitz at 2:06 PM on August 23, 2023 [1 favorite]

I would name her "very pleasant shade of medium brown" if that's a word in some language.

Sehrangenehmermittlererbraunton auf Deutsch.
posted by kirkaracha at 2:35 PM on August 23, 2023 [3 favorites]

glraffe
posted by Literaryhero at 3:20 PM on August 23, 2023 [1 favorite]

I propose THREE-SHIKO as the name.
posted by davidmsc at 3:38 PM on August 23, 2023

This particular type of coat is more rare than leucism in giraffes. In 1972 a giraffe was born in the Ueno Zoo in Tokyo was born with no patches and channels, just brown.
I have heard from an Australian friend that a spotless giraffe was born in the zoo in Sydney. I don’t have confirmation about this.

Leucistic giraffe occur in the wild every so often. There is no record of a plain brown giraffe in the wild.
The lack of patches is only known in captive management.

There are two dwarf giraffe, of different species far away from one another. Both are males. They are too short to mate. If their condition is hereditary they will not pass it on.

Plain brown giraffe are at least as rare as successful C- sections in giraffe.

Bright’s Zoo ( home of the patternless giraffe) is privately owned. I don’t know how closely related their giraffes might be.

In AZA facilities a lot of attention is paid to avoiding inbreeding of giraffes ( and other animals).

The other giraffe seem to be showing normal behavior with the new calf. She looks healthy.
posted by Katjusa Roquette at 5:05 PM on August 23, 2023 [3 favorites]

A leopard may not be able to change its spots, but apparently that's no challenge for a camelopard
posted by los pantalones del muerte at 5:49 PM on August 23, 2023 [3 favorites]

Oops! All spots
posted by lilac girl at 6:41 PM on August 23, 2023 [3 favorites]

The Diurnal Calf of the Spotless Giraffe
posted by snuffleupagus at 10:05 PM on August 23, 2023 [2 favorites]