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zebra are exclusive - foot animals that are native to Africa . Zebras are very closely related to horses and donkey ; in fact , they are in the same genus , Equus . The most outstanding feature of zebras is the bold patterns on their coats .
Zebras have white stripes next to black or dark-brown stripe , with the stripe ending at their belly and the inside side of the leg , which are white , according to the San Diego Zoo . However , zebras have black tegument under their coats .
Zebra in the grasslands of the Serengeti at dawn in Tanzania, East Africa.
Each mintage of zebra has a different general pattern of stripes . The Grevy ’s zebra has very thin stripes . The batch zebra has upright banding on its neck and trunk , but horizontal stripes on its haunch . Some subspecies of plains zebras have brownish " shadow " stripes between the black stripes , grant to the San Diego Zoo .
Zebras ' stripes may make them seem unattractive to smaller piranha , such as bloodsucking Hippobosca equina , which can pass around disease , according to a 2020 study published in the journalProceedings of the Royal Society B. In addition , the stripe may work as a natural sunscreen .
Each zebra ’s stripe are unique . Just as no two human fingerprint are likewise , no two zebra have the same stripe radiation pattern .
Size
The largest zebra is the Grevy ’s zebra , according to theSan Diego Zoo . It weighs 770 to 990 pounds ( 350 to 450 kilograms ) and is around 5 feet ( 1.5 meters ) tall from articulatio humeri to hoof . Their thick body make them appear like mules with stripes .
Mountain zebra are from 3.8 to 4.9 feet ( 116 to 150 cm ) marvellous at the shoulder and weigh 529 to 820 pounds ( 240 to 372 kg ) , allot to theUniversity of Michigan Museum of Zoology .
champaign zebras are 3.6 to 4.8 feet ( 1.1 to 1.5 m ) at the shoulder and weigh up to 770 punt ( 350 kilo ) , agree to theAfrican Wildlife Foundation .
Habitat
Though they all live in Africa , each species of zebra has its own domicile area . Plains zebra live in the treeless grasslands and forest of eastern and southern Africa . The Grevy ’s zebra lives in the arid grasslands of Ethiopia and northerly Kenya . The mountain zebra is plant in South Africa , Namibia and Angola .
Behavior
Plains zebras and mountain zebras live in family chemical group lead by a stallion , with several mare and offspring . phratry group ( known as harems ) sometimes get together to forge loosely associated ruck , accord to the San Diego Zoo . However , Grevy ’s zebras do n’t have herds . or else , stallion establish territories and mares sweep into them to breed and give birth . Once the foal are honest-to-god enough to travel , they and their mothers move on .
Zebras have several direction they communicate with one another , including the facial expressions of wide - open eyes and bareheaded teeth . They also bark , bray , boo or huff to get their point across . Even the position of their ears can signal their intuitive feeling , fit in to the San Diego Zoo . For example , ears flatten out back means worry . Another habit of zebra is mutual grooming , which they do to strengthen their bonds with each other .
Known predator of zebras includelions , leopards , cheetahsandhyenas . When danger go up , the stallion will alarm the others with a richly - pitched snort , fit in to the University of Michigan . He will stand his ground while the rest of the family line operate away in zag style . If he must campaign , he will glower his chief with neck outstretched and teeth block off , set to seize with teeth . However , running away is the common tactic , sometimes accompany by a defensive gripe . The kick can be powerful , though , and can cause serious injury to a predator .
Diet
zebra deplete mostly pasturage and will travel up to 1,800 miles ( 2,900 kilometers ) in search of food , according to theAfrican Wildlife Foundation . Some zebras also eat leaves and branchlet .
Offspring
distaff zebras carry their young for a gestation period of 12 to 14 calendar month . Baby zebras are call foal . When they are take over , foals weigh around 55 to 88 pounds ( 25 to 40 kg ) , according to theSan Diego Zoo . shortly after birth , foal are able-bodied to stand up and walk . The vernal zebra gets its victuals from its female parent ’s Milk River and will proceed to suck throughout its first class . zebra become fully matured at 3 to 6 years old and will have a lifespan of around 25 year .
Classification/taxonomy
Some expert say that there are three species of zebras — Grevy ’s zebra , plains zebra and mount zebra — and that Hartmann ’s zebra is a race of mountain zebra . Other experts say Hartmann ’s zebra is a freestanding species .
For example , theInternational Union for Conservation of Nature(IUCN ) say transmissible analysis does not support the hypothesis that Hartmann ’s zebra is a separate species . TheIntegrated Taxonomic Information System(ITIS ) , a service of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service , on the other mitt , list four metal money .
as well , the IUCN says a 2008 study of 17 plains zebra populations that represented five of the six race establish very little specialization among them and conclude that the race splits may be arbitrary . ITIS , however , lean six race of plains zebra .
The taxonomy of zebras , according to ITIS , is :
Subspecies of plains zebra:
Conservation status
Each species of zebra has its own preservation condition . According to the IUCN ’s Red List of Threatened Species , theplains zebra is not endangered , while the mountain zebra is considered vulnerable and the Grevy ’s zebra is peril . The Red List also list Hartmann ’s zebra ( as a subspecies of mountain zebra ) as vulnerable .
The mountain zebra is consider vulnerable because its universe is low and susceptible to minify . According to theIUCN , the mountain zebra has a population of only around 9,000 adults .
Though the population of the Grevy ’s zebra is stable , it is look at endangered because its numbers are so modest . The Grevy ’s zebra has a population of just 1,966 to 2,447 , consort toIUCN .
The quagga , considered since 1984 to be a subspecies of plains zebra based on transmissible evidence , has been extinct since the 19th century , when the last one died at the Amsterdam Zoo in 1883 .
Additional resources
