Fascinating Zebra Facts

Did you know that there are three species of zebra? Or Like horses, zebras sleep standing up? Or “Tijuana Zebras” are not zebras, at all. They are painted donkeys used in the Mexican town as a tourist gimmick?

The taxonomy of zebras, according to ITIS,

Kingdom: Animalia
Subkingdom: Bilateria
Infrakingdom: Deuterostomia

Zebras

Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Superclass: Tetrapoda             

Class: Mammalia
Subclass: Theria
Infraclass: Eutheria
Order: Perissodactyla
Family: Equidae
GenusEquus
Species: Equus grevyi (Grevy’s zebra), Equus zebra (Cape mountain zebra, Mountain zebra), Equus quagga (Plains zebra)

Zebra species

There are three species of zebra and in the wild they are only found in Africa. They include: Burchell’s zebra, also known as the common or plains zebra; Grevy’s zebra, named for Jules Grevy, a 19th century French president who received one from Abyssinia as a gift; and the Mountain Zebra. All three belong to the genus Equus, which includes horses and donkeys.The largest zebra is the Grevy’s zebra, according to the San Diego Zoo. It weighs 770 to 990 lbs. (350 to 450 kilograms) and is around 5 feet (1.5 meters) tall from shoulder to hoof. Their thick bodies make them look like mules with stripes.

Grevy’s zebra

A zebra’s body is patterned with white and black stripes, the exact placement of which is unique to each individual. It is believed that the zebra’s stripes work like camouflage, according to the National Geographic. When zebras stand together, it is harder for predators to determine how many zebras are in the group. The stripes may also make the zebra appear unattractive to smaller predators, such as bloodsucking horseflies, which can spread disease. In addition, the stripes may work as a natural sunscreen.

Harem of zebra                            

The Zebras are 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 and they won’t be able to mate unless they challenge and defeat a dominant male.  These groups are so close that if a predator injures one individual, fellow members will circle it and attempt to scare the intruder away with their teeth and hooves. Also the male of the herd will tend to put the pregnant mares and the young offspring in the middle for more protection.

Baby zebra Photo by Kansas City Zoo

The end of the rainy season is when mating will occur. Females are able to mate around 3 years old but the males won’t until 5 or 6 years of age. Zebra foals are born after an 11 to 12 month gestation period. The young zebra is able to stand shortly after birth and able to walk within 15 minutes of birth and can run after only an hour.  Although a foal may graze within a week of birth, they continue to suckle for up to 16 months. They are born with brown instead of black coloring. As they mature that coloration will change.

 

Don’t get confused! Tijuana Zebras or Zonkey are not zebras at all. They are donkey painted as zebra), The reason that for this is that the donkeys and their

Zonkey

carts were a great tourist attraction in the early 1900s in Tijuana, Mexico, however back then photos were black and white, and white donkeys hardly registered on the photo instead looked like a ghostly figure with glowing eyes, so someone with a pale skinned donkey didn’t have the same amount of business as someone with a darker donkey. One photographer came up with the idea to paint his donkey with black stripes using women’s hair dye, and it was such a hit that everyone started imitating him. With worldwide recognition, the striped donkey became Tijuana’s undisputed symbol.

Source Content: Africa Wildlife Foundation,

National Geography

For more inquiries or bookings for your next safari to see Zebras                                  Email us at [email protected]

 

 

 

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