Editing Giraffe (section)

===Mortality and health===
[[File:Lioness with giraffe kill, jackal lurking, kenya, august 9th 2012.jpg|thumb|alt=Photograph of a lioness with at an adult giraffe kill|[[Lion]]ess seen with an adult [[Masai giraffe]] kill]]
Giraffes have high adult survival probability,<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|doi=10.1016/B978-0-12-409548-9.09721-9|title=Reference Module in Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences|last1=Lee|first1=D. E.|last2=Strauss|first2=M. K. L. |date=2016 |publisher=Elsevier |isbn=9780124095489}}</ref> and an unusually long lifespan compared to other ruminants, up to 38 years.<ref>{{Cite journal |author1=Müller, D.W. |author2=Zerbe, P. |author3=Codron, D. |author4=Clauss, M. |author5=Hatt, J.M. |s2cid=10687135 |year=2011 |title=A long life among ruminants: giraffids and other special cases|journal=Schweizer Archiv für Tierheilkunde |volume=153 |issue=11 |pages=515–519 |pmid=22045457 |doi=10.1024/0036-7281/a000263}}</ref> Adult female survival is significantly correlated with the number of social associations.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Bond|first1=M. L.|last2=Lee|first2=D. E.|last3=Farine|first3=D. R. |last4=Ozgul |first4=A. |last5=König|first5=B. |date=2021 |title=Sociability increases survival of adult female giraffes |journal=Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences |volume=288 |issue=1944 |pages=20202770 |doi=10.1098/rspb.2020.2770 |pmid=33563118 |pmc=7893237 |doi-access=free}}</ref> Because of their size, eyesight and powerful kicks, adult giraffes are mostly safe from predation,<ref name=estes/> with [[lion]]s being their only major threats.<ref name=Dagg2014/>{{rp|55}} Calves are much more vulnerable than adults and are also preyed on by [[leopard]]s, [[spotted hyena]]s and [[African wild dog|wild dogs]].<ref name="Prothero 2003"/> A quarter to a half of giraffe calves reach adulthood.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Lee|first1=D. E.|last2=Bond|first2=M. L. |last3=Kissui |first3=B. M. |last4=Kiwango|first4=Y. A. |last5=Bolger|first5=T. |date=2016 |title=Spatial variation in giraffe demography: a test of 2 paradigms |journal=[[Journal of Mammalogy]] |pages=1015–1025 |doi=10.1093/jmammal/gyw086 |volume=97 |issue=4 |s2cid=87117946 |doi-access=free}}</ref> Calf survival varies according to the season of birth, with calves born during the [[dry season]] having higher survival rates.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Lee|first1=D. E. |last2=Bond|first2=M. L. |last3=Bolger|first3=D. T. |date=2017 |title=Season of birth affects juvenile survival of giraffe |journal=[[Population Ecology]] |volume=59 |issue=1|pages=45–54 |doi=10.1007/s10144-017-0571-8 |bibcode=2017PopEc..59...45L |s2cid=7611046 |url-status=live |access-date=22 August 2023 |url=https://scholarsphere.psu.edu/resources/d7aaa4fd-9365-431c-8a9c-824e1f54d185|archive-date=22 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230922074127/https://scholarsphere.psu.edu/resources/d7aaa4fd-9365-431c-8a9c-824e1f54d185}}</ref>

The local, seasonal presence of large herds of migratory [[wildebeest]]s and [[zebra]]s reduces predation pressure on giraffe calves and increases their survival probability.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Lee|first1=D. E.|last2=Kissui|first2=B. M. |last3=Kiwango|first3=Y. A. |last4=Bond |first4=M. L.|year=2016|title=Migratory herds of wildebeests and zebras indirectly affect calf survival of giraffes |journal=[[Ecology and Evolution]] |volume=6 |issue=23 |pages=8402–8411 |doi=10.1002/ece3.2561 |pmid=28031792 |pmc=5167056|bibcode=2016EcoEv...6.8402L }}</ref> In turn, it has been suggested that other ungulates may benefit from associating with giraffes, as their height allows them to spot predators from further away. Zebras were found to assess predation risk by watching giraffes and spend less time looking around when giraffes are present.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Schmitt, M. H. |author2=Stears, K.|author3=Shrader, A. M. |year=2016 |title=Zebra reduce predation risk in mixed-species herds by eavesdropping on cues from giraffe |journal=Behavioral Ecology |volume=27 |issue=4|pages=1073–1077 |doi=10.1093/beheco/arw015 |doi-access=free}}</ref>
[[File:Giraffe Oxpeckers Lupande Zambia Jul23 A7R 06194.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Red-billed oxpeckers on a giraffe, Zambia]]
Some parasites feed on giraffes. They are often [[host (biology)|hosts]] for [[tick]]s, especially in the area around the genitals, which have thinner skin than other areas. Tick species that commonly feed on giraffes are those of genera ''[[Hyalomma]]'', ''[[Amblyomma]]'' and ''[[Rhipicephalus]]''. [[Red-billed Oxpecker|Red-billed]] and [[yellow-billed oxpecker]]s clean giraffes of ticks and alert them to danger. Giraffes host numerous species of internal parasites and are susceptible to various diseases. They were victims of the (now eradicated) viral illness [[rinderpest]].<ref name=Dagg1971/> Giraffes can also suffer from a skin disorder, which comes in the form of wrinkles, [[Cutaneous condition#Lesions|lesions]] or raw [[skin fissure|fissures]]. As much as 79% of giraffes have symptoms of the disease in [[Ruaha National Park]], but it did not cause mortality in [[Tarangire National Park|Tarangire]] and is less prevalent in areas with fertile soils.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Lee|first1=D. E.|last2=Bond|first2=M. L.|date=2016 |title=The occurrence and prevalence of Giraffe skin disease in protected areas of northern Tanzania |journal=[[Journal of Wildlife Diseases]] |volume=52|issue=3|pages=753–755 |doi=10.7589/2015-09-247 |pmid=27310168|s2cid=10736316}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Bond|first1=M. L. |last2=Strauss |first2=M. K. L. |last3=Lee|first3=D. E.|date=2016 |title=Soil Correlates and Mortality from Giraffe Skin Disease in Tanzania |journal=Journal of Wildlife Diseases |doi=10.7589/2016-02-047|pmid=27529292 |volume=52|issue=4|pages=953–958 |s2cid=46776142}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Muneza |first1=A. B. |last2=Montgomery|first2=R. A.|last3=Fennessy|first3=J. T.|last4=Dickman|first4=A. J.|last5=Roloff|first5=G. J. |last6=Macdonald |first6=D. W.|date=2016 |title=Regional variation of the manifestation, prevalence, and severity of giraffe skin disease: A review of an emerging disease in wild and captive giraffe populations |journal=[[Biological Conservation]] |volume=198|pages=145–156 |doi=10.1016/j.biocon.2016.04.014|bibcode=2016BCons.198..145M }}</ref>
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