Zebras are for the most part grazers, but will browse when their preferred food source is unavailable, and spend as much as 80% of their day feeding. Zebras are what is known as hindgut fermenters, which means that they can extract nutrition out of low-quality feed such as grass and bark. Meanwhile, the mountain zebra, as indicated by its name, prefers mountainous areas, with their habitat, found mostly in Southern and South-Eastern Africa. The plains zebra’s range of treeless grasslands flows from southern Sudan to eastern and southern Africa, staying clear of deserts and wetlands. Grévy’s zebras live mostly in northern Kenya, in Acacia bushland, and on barren plains. All three species are found in Eastern and Southern Africa in a variety of savannahs, shrublands, woodlands, grasslands, and mountainous regions. Grévy’s, plains and mountain zebras inhabit distinctly different habitats with only some overlapping of range here and there. Its unique colouring of a striped head and neck fading into a solid coat towards its rump made it look something like a cross between a zebra and a horse. However, mountain zebras have a conspicuous dewlap, a flap of skin hanging from its jaw down its neck, which both Grévy’s and the plains zebras lack.īonus zebra: Quaqqa ( Equus quagga) The quagga was a plains zebra that lived in South Africa until extinction in the late 19th century. In contrast, mountain zebras’ stripes do not flow all the way to its belly, leaving a white stretch of skin that is clearly visible, similar to the Grevy’s zebra. The plains zebra has what is called “shadow stripes,” slightly lighter stripes in between the dark, prominent stripes. Grévy’s zebras are the tallest of the three, with thin stripes that do not reach all the way to the belly. The three species of zebra differ slightly in appearance, although it may be quite difficult to distinguish between them from a distance. There are many theories about why zebras evolved their stripes, and it seems that perhaps the most likely answer is that the stripes function as a way to deter biting insects like tsetse flies and mosquitos. When a foal is born, its stripes start out as slightly more brown but then become darker with age. Each zebra’s stripes are unique to the individual and make them recognisable from the herd. The vertical stripes slash across its neck and body, then curve horizontally around the rump and legs. And like horses, they walk on their tiptoes, with each of their long legs ending in a single toe covered with a hard, durable hoof.īut what sets the zebra apart from other equines is its distinct coat. They sport lovely erect mains and have a tuft of hair on their tails, perfect for swatting away flies. Similar to horses, zebras have barrel chests, long faces, and long necks.
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