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Zebra: For Other Uses, See

Zebras are African equines distinguished by their black and white striped coats. There are three living species - Grevy's zebra, plains zebra, and mountain zebra. Zebras share the genus Equus with horses and asses. They inhabit eastern and southern Africa across various habitats and subsist on lower quality vegetation. Zebras communicate through vocalizations, body postures, and facial expressions to strengthen social bonds. Their stripes provide protection from flies and make them among the most recognizable mammals.

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155 views3 pages

Zebra: For Other Uses, See

Zebras are African equines distinguished by their black and white striped coats. There are three living species - Grevy's zebra, plains zebra, and mountain zebra. Zebras share the genus Equus with horses and asses. They inhabit eastern and southern Africa across various habitats and subsist on lower quality vegetation. Zebras communicate through vocalizations, body postures, and facial expressions to strengthen social bonds. Their stripes provide protection from flies and make them among the most recognizable mammals.

Uploaded by

Andrijana Milovanovic
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Zebra

For other uses, see Zebra (disambiguation).

Zebra

Temporal range: Pliocene to recent

A herd of plains zebras (Equus quagga)

in the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Perissodactyla

Family: Equidae
Genus: Equus

Subgenus: Hippotigris
C. H. Smith, 1841

Species

†E. capensis
E. grevyi
†E. koobiforensis
†E. mauritanicus
†E. oldowayensis
E. quagga
E. zebra

Modern range of the three living zebra

species

Zebras[a] (subgenus Hippotigris) are African equines with distinctive black-and-white


striped coats. There are three extant species: the Grévy's zebra (Equus grevyi), plains
zebra (E. quagga) and the mountain zebra (E. zebra). Zebras share the
genus Equus with horses and asses, the three groups being the only living members of
the family Equidae. Zebra stripes come in different patterns, unique to each individual.
Several theories have been proposed for the function of these stripes, with most
evidence supporting them as a form of protection from biting flies. Zebras
inhabit eastern and southern Africa and can be found in a variety of habitats such
as savannahs, grasslands, woodlands, shrublands and mountainous areas.
Zebras are primarily grazers and can subsist on lower-quality vegetation. They are
preyed on mainly by lions and typically flee when threatened but also bite and kick.
Zebra species differ in social behaviour, with plains and mountain zebra living in
stable harems consisting of an adult male or stallion, several adult females or mares,
and their young or foals; while Grévy's zebra live alone or in loosely associated herds.
In harem-holding species, adult females mate only with their harem stallion, while male
Grévy's zebras establish territories which attract females and the species
is promiscuous. Zebras communicate with various vocalisations, body postures and
facial expressions. Social grooming strengthens social bonds in plains and mountain
zebras.
A zebra's dazzling stripes make them among the most recognisable mammals. They
have been featured in art and stories in Africa and beyond. Historically, they have been
highly sought after by exotic animal collectors, but unlike horses and donkeys, zebras
have never been truly domesticated. The International Union for Conservation of
Nature (IUCN) lists the Grévy's zebra as endangered, the mountain zebra
as vulnerable and the plains zebra as near-threatened. The quagga, a type of plains
zebra, was driven to extinction in the 19th century. Nevertheless, zebras can be found
in numerous protected areas.

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