Zebra

social behavior zebra types Zebra stripes Zebra habitat Zebra Predators

 

Social behavior

Zebras usually live in groups known as herds. The plains zebra and mountain zebra form small family units, consisting of up to six mares (adult females) and their young, under the leadership of a adult male.

Once a stallion has assembled a group of mares, it faces the constant threat of being displaced by a more powerful rival. When an intruder does appear, the resident zebra issues a challenge by touching noses or rubbing shoulders with the rival. If the rival male does not give way, a fight breaks out, with the two stallions biting each other's neck or legs, and as a last resort, kicking with their back legs. Unlike some courtship contests in the animal world, these fights are as dangerous as they look, and severe injuries can result.

 

 

 

Zebra types

Zebras can be classified into three species and several subspecies.

  • Plains Zebra ( Equus burchelli )
    • Grant's Zebra
    • Crawshay's Zebra
    • Upper Zambezi Zebra
    • Chapman's Zebra
    • Damara Zebra
    • Burchell's zebra (extinct)
    • Quagga (extinct)
  • Grevy's Zebra ( Equus greyvi )
  • Mountain Zebra ( Equus zebra )
    • Cape Mountain Zebra
    • Hartmann's Mountain Zebra

Zebra stripes

The first is as simple pattern-camouflage, much like the type the military uses in its fatigue design. The wavy lines of a zebra blend in with the wavy lines of the tall grass around it. It doesn't matter that the zebra's stripes are black and white and the lines of the grass are yellow, brown or green, because the zebra's main predator, the lion, is colorblind. The pattern of the camouflage is much more important than its color, when hiding from these predators. If a zebra is standing still in matching surroundings, a lion may overlook it completely.

 

Zebra habitat

Burchell's zebras inhabit savannas, from treeless grasslandto open woodlands ;they sometimes occur in tens of thousandsin migratory herds on the serengeti plains.Grevy's zebras are now mainly restricted to parts 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 Diet


Zebras are avid grazers. Both Burchell's and Grevy's zebrasare 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.

Zebra Predators


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.

   
Zebra wildlife San diego zoo:Zebras National geographics:Zebra

 

 

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