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Zebra
Zebras, horses and wild asses are all equids, long-lived animals that move quickly for their large size and have teeth built for grinding and cropping grass. Zebras have horse like bodies, but their manes are made of short, erect hair, their tails are tufted at the tip and their coats are striped.
Three species of zebra still occur in Africa, two of which are found in East Africa. The most numerous and widespread species in the east is Burchell's, also known as the common or plains zebra. The other is Grevy's zebra, named for Jules Grevy, a president of France in the 1880s who received one from Abyssinia as a gift, and now found mostly in northern Kenya. (The third species, Equus zebra, is the mountain zebra, found in southern and southwestern Africa.)
Physical Characteristics
Burchell's zebras inhabit savannas, from treeless grasslands to open woodlands; they sometimes occur in tens of thousands in migratory herds on the Serengeti plains. Grevy's zebras are now mainly restricted to parts of northern Kenya. Although they are adapted to semi-arid conditions and require less water than other zebra species, these zebras compete with domestic livestock for water and have suffered heavy poaching for their meat and skins. Zebra prefer open grassy plains and park-like savanna and prefer but do not require grazing with shortish grass. They occur in areas with available water nearby as they are very dependent on water. Zebra occur throughout South Africa. Although in the past they naturally occurred especially in the central, northern and eastern parts of South Africa, they are widely distributed throughout South Africa through introduction on game farms and private reserves.
Behavior
Diet
Zebras are avid grazers. Both Burchell's and Grevy's zebras are in constant search of green pastures. In the dry season, they can live on coarse, dry grass only if they are within a short distance (usually no farther than 20 miles away) of water holes.
Caring for the young Zebras
When a foal is born the mother keeps all other zebras (even the members of her family) away from it for 2 or 3 days, until it learns to recognize her by sight, voice and smell.
While all foals have a close association with their mothers, the male foals are also close to their fathers. They leave their group on their own accord between the ages of 1 and 4 years to join an all-male bachelor group until they are strong enough to head a family.
Predators
Lion, Leopard, Spotted Hyena, Wild dogs, Nile Crocodile, Brown Hyena, Cheetah, Black backed Jackal, Side striped jackal, Human race.
Zebras are important prey for lions and hyenas, and to a lesser extent for hunting dogs, leopards and cheetahs. When a family group is attacked, the members form a semicircle, face the predator and watch it, ready to bite or strike should the attack continue. If one of the family is injured the rest will often encircle it to protect it from further attack.
Did you know?
Sources:
http://www.krugerpark.co.za/africa_zebra.html
http://www.outtoafrica.nl/animals/engzebra.html?zenden=2&subsoort_id=1&bestemming_id=1
http://www.wildlifesouthafrica.com/blog/mammals-of-south-africa/zebra-fact-file
Zebras, horses and wild asses are all equids, long-lived animals that move quickly for their large size and have teeth built for grinding and cropping grass. Zebras have horse like bodies, but their manes are made of short, erect hair, their tails are tufted at the tip and their coats are striped.
Three species of zebra still occur in Africa, two of which are found in East Africa. The most numerous and widespread species in the east is Burchell's, also known as the common or plains zebra. The other is Grevy's zebra, named for Jules Grevy, a president of France in the 1880s who received one from Abyssinia as a gift, and now found mostly in northern Kenya. (The third species, Equus zebra, is the mountain zebra, found in southern and southwestern Africa.)
Physical Characteristics
- The long-legged Grevy's zebra, the biggest of the wild equids, is taller and heavier than the Burchell's, with a massive head and large ears.
- Zebras have shiny coats that dissipate over 70 percent of incoming heat, and some scientists believe the stripes help the animals withstand intense solar radiation.
- The black and white stripes are a form of camouflage called disruptive coloration that breaks up the outline of the body.
- Although the pattern is visible during daytime, at dawn or in the evening when their predators are most active, zebras look indistinct and may confuse predators by distorting true distance.
- The stripes on Grevy's zebras are more numerous and narrow than those of the plains zebra and do not extend to the belly.
- In all zebra species, the stripes on the forequarters form a triangular pattern; Grevy's have a similar pattern on the hindquarters, while others have a slanted or horizontal pattern.
Burchell's zebras inhabit savannas, from treeless grasslands to open woodlands; they sometimes occur in tens of thousands in migratory herds on the Serengeti plains. Grevy's zebras are now mainly restricted to parts of northern Kenya. Although they are adapted to semi-arid conditions and require less water than other zebra species, these zebras compete with domestic livestock for water and have suffered heavy poaching for their meat and skins. Zebra prefer open grassy plains and park-like savanna and prefer but do not require grazing with shortish grass. They occur in areas with available water nearby as they are very dependent on water. Zebra occur throughout South Africa. Although in the past they naturally occurred especially in the central, northern and eastern parts of South Africa, they are widely distributed throughout South Africa through introduction on game farms and private reserves.
Behavior
- Family groups are stable members maintaining strong bonds over many years. Mutual grooming, where zebras stand together and nibble the hair on each other's neck and back, helps develop and preserve these bonds.
- Family members look out for one another if one becomes separated from the rest, the others search for it.
- The group adjusts its traveling pace to accommodate the old and the weak.
- The females within a family observe a strict hierarchical system. A dominant mare always leads the group, while others follow her in single file, each with their foals directly behind them.
- The lowest- ranking mare is the last in line.
- Although the stallion is the dominant member of the family, he operates outside the system and has no special place in the line.
- Zebras are highly sociable animals. They live in small family groups (small herds) of about 3 to 10 zebras consisting of a few mares, young zebras and an adult stallion. Larger herds are sometimes seen but it usually happens when different herds come together temporarily. Sometimes bachelor herds are formed by a few stallions only. Some adult stallions may also stay alone at certain times. Zebras are highly gregarious and mix with Blue wildebeest, impala, giraffe and other herbivores. They defend themselves by biting and kicking. Stallions often inflict serious injuries on each other when fighting for dominance and a chance to breed. No zebra is striped like another. Each zebra’s stripe pattern is unique – all patterns differ from each other. Zebras are diurnal.
Diet
Zebras are avid grazers. Both Burchell's and Grevy's zebras are in constant search of green pastures. In the dry season, they can live on coarse, dry grass only if they are within a short distance (usually no farther than 20 miles away) of water holes.
Caring for the young Zebras
When a foal is born the mother keeps all other zebras (even the members of her family) away from it for 2 or 3 days, until it learns to recognize her by sight, voice and smell.
While all foals have a close association with their mothers, the male foals are also close to their fathers. They leave their group on their own accord between the ages of 1 and 4 years to join an all-male bachelor group until they are strong enough to head a family.
Predators
Lion, Leopard, Spotted Hyena, Wild dogs, Nile Crocodile, Brown Hyena, Cheetah, Black backed Jackal, Side striped jackal, Human race.
Zebras are important prey for lions and hyenas, and to a lesser extent for hunting dogs, leopards and cheetahs. When a family group is attacked, the members form a semicircle, face the predator and watch it, ready to bite or strike should the attack continue. If one of the family is injured the rest will often encircle it to protect it from further attack.
Did you know?
- Romans called Grevy's zebras 'hippotigris' and trained them to pull two-wheeled carts for exhibition in circuses.
- At first glance zebras in a herd might all look alike, but their stripe patterns are as distinctive as fingerprints are in man. Scientists can identify individual zebras by comparing patterns, stripe widths, color and scars.
- No two Zebra have the same striping, as in fingerprints in humans the stripes of Zebra are unique to an individual.
- There are two species of Zebra in Southern Africa, the Plains or Burchell's Zebra and the Mountain Zebra.
- As the names suggest they occur in vastly differing habitats, although they are known to occur together in places where plains and mountains overlap.
- A third species, the Grevy's Zebra is found in East Africa.
- The Burchell's Zebra is the national animal of Botswana and is found on the coat of arms of the country.
- Zebras are related to Rhinoceroses. In days gone by Zebras were interbred with donkeys and were used to pull ox wagons and mules coaches of the Zeederberg Transport and Coachline, in Zimbabwe.
- Males are usually slightly heavier than females and are stockier and more robustly built.
Sources:
http://www.krugerpark.co.za/africa_zebra.html
http://www.outtoafrica.nl/animals/engzebra.html?zenden=2&subsoort_id=1&bestemming_id=1
http://www.wildlifesouthafrica.com/blog/mammals-of-south-africa/zebra-fact-file
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