Zebra Facts and Information
Introduction to Zebra
Does the Zebra black with white stripes or white stripes with black? You can argue that all day long. What isn’t controversial is that they belong to the horse population and that they have long tails. They each have a pattern on their stripes that is unique too, just like the fingerprints of humans. There are three species of Zebras that have been identified. None of them have been domesticated though like other types of horses.
Zebra Description
They can be up to52 inches at the shoulder. They can also be from 6 to8 feet long. The tail can be up to18 inches and they can weigh about 770 pounds. The females are usually smaller than the males. They have ears that are rounded and they can turn them various directions. They can walk, trot, or gallop. They have plenty of stamina and powerful legs. They zigzag from side to side when predators are after them as this helps them to have a chance to outrun them.
| Class | Mammalia |
| Order | Perissodactyla |
| Family | Equidae |
| Genus | Equus |
They can kick with their strong legs or bite too if they need to protect themselves. Some experts believe that the Zebra is able to see in color. They have eyes on the side of the head that offers them a wide field of view. They can see well at night too, but most of their predators are able to see better so that is a disadvantage.
Zebra Distribution
The Zebra is found living in the grasslands, the plains, and in the savannas. They are found in these types of areas around Africa. They can live in locations where it is very hot and dry. They tend to live in locations that can have periods of heavy rains and then times with drought. They move around a large home range to find food, and that movement is often dictated by the availability of food.
Zebra Behavior
The Zebra is social and they live in small herds. They can form harems that have 1 male and up to 6 females. The male is dominant and there is a hierarchy among the females. The bachelors can live along or create bachelor herds. They won’t be able to mate unless they challenge and defeat a dominant male. The male of the herd will defend them from predators. They tend to put the pregnant mares and the young offspring in the middle for more protection.
They have very good hearing and vision so they are able to watch out for predators. Their stripes can help them to stay hidden too due to the way they blend in. When they are out in the open they are often around other animals such as antelope and wildebeest so that they can all give warnings of predators.
Zebra Feeding
Shrubs, leaves, twigs, back, and plants offer them their diet. They are able to live on items that don’t offer the most overall nutritional value. As a result though they have to consume food for many hours per day. They often move along as they are able to get access to food resources.
Zebra Reproduction
The end of the rainy season is when mating will occur. The males of a herd will mate with all the mature females in it. There is plenty of turn over as this is when the young males that are ready to mate are going to challenge for position.
Females are able to mate around 3 years old but the males won’t until 5 or 6 years of age. The young are born about 9 months after mating. The mothers are very good at caring for them. They will be protected by other females in the herd too. They are born with brown instead of black coloring. As they mature that coloration will change.
