Zebras
by Krysta CardinaleThe zebra is known for its unique black and white striped skin. There are several different types of zebras. The most commonly found, and popular, is the Plains Zebra. The other types include the Burchell’s Zebra, Mountain Zebra, Grey’s Zebra, and the extinct Quagga Zebra. Zebras are members of the horse family and have a typical lifespan of twenty-eight years.
The zebra’s shiny coat is more than just a pretty second skin. Information on zebras reveal their black and white stripes have been proven to stave off up to 70 percent of incoming heat generated by the sun and many scientists also believe that they aid the zebra in combating the effects of solar radiation. A zebra’s coat also serves as a camouflage. Known as disruptive coloration, the striped pattern breaks up the body’s outline and confuses potential predators, especially in the evening, when their shape becomes more difficult to discern. No two zebras are identical, the differences in stripes gives them their identity among their herd and to their young.
The studies done reveal information on zebras such as their top recorded speed is 55km/hr. This speed is slower than a horse; however a zebra has a much higher endurance. Zebras tend to be a very social species. They often form groups or families consisting of one male and three or more females and their current offspring. Young bachelor males will also form groups up from five to ten members. Plains Zebras will form into large herds with one another, and other grazing species such as the Wildebeest.
Information on zebras mating shows that males are not mature until about five or six years of age. Females on the other hand, are fertile at about two or three years. Zebras mating produce up to one foal per fertile female a year. A newborn zebra weighs about 70 pounds. Baby zebras have brown stripes, short bodies, and long legs. Females protect baby zebras from the rest of the herd. During this time the baby zebras learn their mothers’ stripes and form and show a close relationship with her as they grow.
The typical diet of a zebra includes different grasses, especially grass blades, preferably fresh growth when available. Zebras’ food has also been known to consist of leaves, bark, and shoots at times. Unlike other grazing animals, zebras have incisors in their upper and lower teeth. This allows zebras’ food selection to be wider, permitting them to roam the woodlands and not just the open plains.
Types of Zebras
The information on zebras has led to the distinction of three main species of zebra and then many subspecies. The three main species are the Plains Zebra, Mountain Zebra, and the Grey’s Zebra.
• Plains Zebra- This species of zebra is the most popular. Plains Zebras are found from Ethiopia through the east Africa, and as far south as Angola and South Africa. They are a mid-sized zebra, with thick bodies, and short legs. Their stripes are vertical on the front of their torso and turn horizontal towards the back half. The northern Plains Zebras tend to have narrower stripes, where as the southern ones have less striping on their underneath, legs, and hindquarters. Two subspecies of the Plains Zebra is the Burchell’s Zebra and the Quagga. The Quagga is an extinct species and very different from the zebra we know today. A Quagga Zebra only had a striped head and neck, the remaining portions of its body was brown. The Burchell’s Zebra is a southern subspecies. They can be found north of the Vaal/Orange River system, and southeast around Swaziland and Kwazulu-Natal. It is large in size and its stripes are never pure white. The Burchell Zebra’s stripes also tend to fade away and disappear down the leg, never making it to the hooves, and they have a well developed mane.
• Mountain Zebra- There is two species of Mountain Zebra, the Cape Mountain Zebra and the Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra. Mountain Zebras are considered an endangered species. They can be found in South West Africa. There habitats include dry and stony hills or mountains. The Mountain Zebra’s white stripes have an orange tint to them perhaps helping them blend into the rocks in the mountains, and their stripes are thicker in the hindquarters and narrower everywhere else.
• Grey’s Zebra- The Grey’s Zebra is also considered an endangered species. It is the largest of the Zebra family, and is native to Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia. In comparison, Grey’s Zebras have large ears and very narrow stripes and a white underneath. Their head is long, narrow, and donkey like. Their main stands erect and very long, younger Grey’s Zebras have a mane that runs down the length of their backs. Grey’s Zebras have a lifespan of only ten to twelve years.
