Zebras: zebras are striped, African mammals of the genus Equus.
Kingdom: | Animalia
Phila: | Chordata
Class: | Mother
Order: | Perissodactyla
Family: | Equidae
Color: | Equus
There are currently three species of zebra: Grévy’s zebra (Equus grevyi), mountain zebra (E.
quagga) and mountain zebra (E.
zebra).
Plains zebras are the most common of the three species.
Their stripes vary in size and pattern, depending on the species.
Zebras vary in size depending on their breed.
Grévy’s zebra is the largest.
They are about 4.10 to 5.25 feet tall at the shoulder and weigh 776 to 992 pounds.
The mountain zebra is relatively small, and is about 3.81 to 4.79 meters tall at the shoulder and weighs 450 to 948 pounds.
The Plains Zebra is the smallest of the three species, measuring 3.61 to 4.76 feet at the shoulder and weighing 386 to 849 pounds.
Zebras are characterized by dark and heavy stripes.
It is a member of the Equus family and is closely related to horses and donkeys.
These three types differ slightly in appearance.
The Grévy’s zebra has a donkey-like appearance with a narrow skull, strong neck and pointed ears.
It has narrow lines with vertical stripes.
The stripes of the mountain zebra are intermediate in width between the other two species.
Compared to other species, their caps are rounded and set back.
Wild zebras have broad horizontal stripes on their rump.
The northern ones have many stripes, while the southern ones have white legs and bells.
Southerners also have white legs and bellies, and brown stripes between the black stripes.
Zebras are herbivores.
Zebras mainly eat grass but will also eat other plants if grass is scarce.
Zebras can be found in different places such as swamps, grasslands, forests, hills and mountains.
Zebras live in eastern and southern Africa.
Between plains and mountain zebras, large female zebras only mate with their hare.
Meanwhile, for Grévy’s zebras, mating is promiscuous.
On average, the gestation period is 11 to 13 months, depending on the species.
The female usually gives birth to a baby, called a pup, at the same time.
The mother watches the baby closely, imprinting her own lines, smells and sounds of the baby.
Zebras are gregarious animals and live in groups called herds.
There is usually a lead bull, called a bull.
The sheep are also several females and their young.
The cow stays behind the herd to protect it from enemies.
When zebras are grouped together, the stripes cause predators, including lions and tigers, to single out one zebra to chase.
Zebras communicate through facial expressions, ear position and tone of voice.
The average lifespan of a zebra in the wild is 25 years.
Lions, hyenas, wild dogs, and rabbits are among the zebra’s predators.
However, the biggest threats to zebras are related to human activities, such as hunting and habitat destruction or fragmentation.
Habitat loss due to human encroachment, agriculture, and grazing remains a challenge to the conservation of these animals.
Hunting is another major problem for zebras, especially for skins and meat.
In Ethiopia, hunting is the main reason for the decline of Grévy’s zebra.
Although they usually hunt for their skins, they are sometimes killed for food.
In addition to illegal hunting, Grévy also faces threats from the spread of disease, drought, habitat loss, and population fragmentation.
The plains zebra is listed as Near threatened by the IUCN.
Currently, the mountain zebra is listed as Endangered and the Grévy’s zebra is listed as Endangered.
Conservation groups, such as the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), are working to protect all three zebra species by working with governments and communities.
Source: San Diego Zoo, African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) and NATURE zebra resources.
History of the Zebra
The zebra (subgenus Hippotigris) is well known for its distinct stripes.
They are members of the order Equus, which includes horses and donkeys.
There are three living species of Zebra: mountain zebra (Equus quagga), Grevy’s zebra (Equus grevyi), and mountain zebra (Equus mbzi).
Each species has unique stripes.
Facts About Zebras In Brief
Grasslands, forests, hills, and mountains.
East and South Africa
Grevy’s zebra: 350-450kg, common zebra: 175-385kg, and mountain zebra: 200-430kg.
Lions, hares, tigers, spotted hyenas, brown hyenas and Nile crocodiles.
Number of Models:
Grevy’s zebra: endangered, mountain zebra: vulnerable, plains zebra: near threatened.
Zebras come from the African continent, especially in the east and south such as Kenya and Botswana.
The best places to live are grasslands, forests, hills, and mountains.
Lions are the favorite animals of lions, and they are also hunted by tigers, hares, spotted hyenas, brown hyenas, and Nile crocodiles.
According to IUCN management, the Grevy’s Zebra is critically endangered.
2,250 people, while mountain zebras are endangered, and valley zebras are about to be threatened.
Their decline due to habitat loss, poaching, disease, and civil war have also contributed to the decline of zebras.
Zebras are found in many protected areas and parks, which are intended to help prevent depletion, provide access to water, and increase their chances of survival.
Zebra Fun
1. Their stripes are unique
Zebras are marked by their stripes, which are unique to each person, like a human finger.
Scientists have also developed a way to read their stripes as bar codes to identify the real zebras that make noise.
2. Zebra stripes are the longest in southern Africa
Research has shown that the further south of the African plains you travel, the longer the zebra lines are.
Each type of zebra has different types of stripes, too.
The grevy’s zebra has very thin stripes, while the mountain zebra has straight stripes on its neck and head.
3. No one is sure why they have bruises
There have been many theories, including that stripes help distract enemies.
Some theories suggest that the stripes serve to keep them cool, while others suggest that biting flies do not like to land on the stripes.
4. They are black with white stripes
4. They are black with white stripes
The age-old question of whether zebras are white with black stripes or black with white stripes has finally been answered by science.
They are often thought to be white with black stripes, but they are actually black with white stripes!
Zebras also have black skin under their hair.
5. Different species of zebras have different behaviors
Plains and mountain zebras live in family groups, with a male, a female and their children (zebra children).
These groups often merge into larger groups.
However, the grevy zebra lives alone, or in loose groups.
Males have territories that they protect from others, while females and their children move freely between these territories.
6. Zebras migrate in large groups
Plains zebras are the most abundant of the three species and are known for their long migrations, moving from place to place in search of water and grass.
Many family groups come together to form herd groups.
Often when the cattle migrate, they form ‘high herds’ with thousands of zebras.
Other animals also enter it, such as wildebeest and deer.
7. Most zebra herds migrate to Botswana twice a year
The migration is about 300 kilometers and the moving cattle have 30,000 zebras.
8. Plains zebras migrate for a longer period of time than all animals in Africa
One herd of rock zebras was recorded to migrate 500 kilometers from Namibia to Botswana, which is actually the longest journey of any animal in Africa.
9. They can be fed well and are alert to predators
They have long front teeth (incisors) that act like scissors to cut grass at the roots, while their large back teeth (molars) work to grind grass.
This means that when they bend down to eat grass they can look out for lions, or other predators.
The zebra takes part in the great wildebeest migration to the north depending on the season.
During this migration, they rely on each other to survive.
Wildebeests have excellent hearing and smell, while zebras have exceptional vision.
Working together in a pack helps them reduce the risk of being caught.
Even so, it is estimated that more than 250,000 zebras die each year during migration.
Zebras are perhaps surprisingly aggressive.
This is usually to protect themselves from animals, to protect their young, or when males are fighting with females.
Zebra species will protect their members from predators.
They have been seen forming defensive groups around their injured relatives or cubs, often biting and attacking approaching predators.
Zebras are fast and agile with long thin legs that allow them to move very quickly.
They can run at a speed of 58 km/h (36 mph), which is faster than some of their enemies, including lions.
The grevy zebra is the largest type of zebra
The grevy zebra has a stout body like a donkey and can reach up to 10ft in height, and 5ft in height.
They weigh between 350-450kg (776 – 992 lb), have thin stripes and very large ears.
The plan of the zebra is the smallest of all animals, with short legs and very similar to a horse.
Their body length can reach about 8 ft, with a height of under 5 ft and a weight between 175 – 385kg (385 – 850 lb).
The mountain zebra is somewhere between the two species in size, and has vertical stripes on its neck and trunk.
There are 8 species of zebra
Plains zebras include the maneless zebra, grant’s zebra, crawshay’s zebra, chapman’s zebra, burchell’s zebra, and selous’ zebra, which are distributed in different ways.
Mountain zebras are divided into two groups.
Both prefer the highlands of Angola, Namibia, and South Africa.
There are no zebra grévy varieties.
The Cape Mountain zebra was almost extinct
In 1930 there were less than 100 Cape mountain zebras, however due to conservation efforts their number has increased significantly to 3,000.
The quagga species became extinct in the 19th century
Quagga (Equus quagga quagga) was a type of zebra in South Africa.
The population of grevy’s zebras is a mere 2,250 individuals
The grevy zebra is endangered according to the IUCN Redlist.
The population was about 15,000 in the 1970s, and is down to 2,000 today.
In the past, hunting and poaching were the main reason for their decline, while the beautiful skin of the zebra fetches high prices around the world.
However, today their main threats are habitat loss, competition from livestock, diseases and invasive plant species that threaten their food supply.
Zebra File Summary
Empire:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Mother
To order:
Perissodactyla
Species Names:
Grevy’s zebra (Equus grevyi)
Plains Zebra (Equus quagga)
Mountain zebra (Equus zebra)
Zebra stripes, tabanid biting flies and cavity results.
doi:10.1098/rspb.2020.1521Villazon L.
Are zebras black and white stripes or white and black?
The newly discovered wildlife in Namibia and Botswana is the longest in Africa.
doi:10.1017/S0030605314000222Hrabar H, Kerley GIH.
Conservation objectives for the Cape Mountain zebra Equus Zebra Zebra – Safety in numbers?
doi:10.1017/S0030605311002018