What do zebras eat. What does a zebra eat? Where does the zebra live

Ecology

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Zebras are one of the few species of odd-toed mammals, which also include horses and donkeys. Unpaired hooves may be an adaptation for running fast on hard ground. Zebras belong to the genus of horses, but among all representatives of this genus, they have the most unusual appearance.

But why do zebras have stripes? When zebras gather together, it is difficult for predators to choose one horse from the pack. Different types of zebras have different types of stripes - from narrow to wide. In fact, the further you travel to the south of the African peninsula, the more different the colors of zebras will be.

Recent studies have suggested that zebras' stripes also help them attract fewer blood-sucking insects.

In height, adult zebras can reach from 110 to 150 centimeters, if you do not take into account the head. The weight of zebras can vary greatly depending on the subspecies - from 175 to 380 kilograms. Males are usually 10 percent heavier than females.

Grevy's Zebra - the largest type of horse. In the wild, zebras live an average of 20-30 years, and in zoos - up to 40 years.

Zebras primarily feed on coarse grass, but can also eat leaves, which make up about 30 percent of their diet. Zebras are social animals that live in small packs.

Zebras run slower than horses, their maximum speed is 55 kilometers per hour, but they are hardy enough to help them successfully flee from predators. When pursued, zebras can run from side to side, which does not allow the predator to catch them. In case of serious danger, the zebra rears up, can kick or bite the offender with force.

If food is available in abundance in some place, for example, in the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania, zebras prefer to be sedentary. In arid areas, small groups of zebras may form larger groups and migrate together in search of food. Large flocks of zebras can cover distances of 800 kilometers per year during migrations.

Zebras are very dependent on water, so they prefer not to move far from water bodies, to which they must come at least once a day to drink. It is the duty of the oldest mare to lead the whole herd as they move from place to place, and to see that the family does not move too far from the water.

Habitats:

In the wild, zebras live only in Africa.

plains zebras live in grasslands and are distributed throughout the continent, in places where there are necessary conditions - grass and water. mountain zebras live, as the name implies, in mountainous areas on the territory of the arid African states of Angola, Namibia and South Africa. Grevy's zebras live in the area covered with bushes and grass in eastern Africa - Kenya and Ethiopia. Usually antelopes are found in the same places, so both species receive additional protection from predators.

Guard status: Least Concern, but some subspecies are threatened

The population of plains zebras is the least of concern, although the number of these animals has been greatly reduced over the past 100 years.

The reasons for the disappearance of zebras are the following: sport hunting for zebras, as well as hunting for valuable skins, loss of the most suitable territories for animals due to population growth.

Due to the fact that livestock eat grass in pastures, wildlife suffers greatly. Zebras cannot compete with the growing number of livestock, and their territories are also taken over by farmers who grow crops.

Domestication of the zebra has already been unsuccessfully attempted several times over the past couple of centuries.

With the help of a special project, scientists from South Africa are trying to restore the extinct subspecies of zebra - quagga.

In ancient Rome, Grevy's zebras were called "hippotigris" and trained to learn how to draw cards in the circus.

Zebras in a herd look very similar, but the location and shape of the stripes differ in the same way that human fingerprints differ. Scientists can identify individuals by comparing their coloration, stripe width, color, and scars.

Zebras have black skin under their fur, which is why many claim that zebras have white stripes on a black background, but others dispute this claim.

1-2 million rubles

Burchelov, or savannah zebra(Equus quagga)
Class - mammals

Detachment - equids

Family - horses

Genus - horses

Appearance

Striped animal of medium size and dense build, on relatively short legs. Body length 2-2.4 m, tail 47-57 cm, height at the withers 1.12-1.4 m, weight 290-340 kg. Males are only 10% larger than females. Another difference between males and females is a thicker neck. The mane is short, erect; at the end of the tail is a brush of long hair. The coloration characteristic of zebras consists of alternating dark and light stripes, more precisely light stripes on a dark background. Each individual has its own unique pattern, it is as individual as human fingerprints. On the front of the body, the stripes run vertically, on the croup - closer to the longitudinal ones. The pattern of stripes is variable individually and geographically, which makes it possible to distinguish 6 subspecies. In general, in the northern subspecies of the Savannah zebra, the stripes are more pronounced and cover the entire body, while in the southern subspecies they are wider, on the rump and legs they tend to lighten and “blur”, and against the background of white stripes, “shadow”, light-colored stripes are distinguishable. brown stripes. The savannah zebra differs from the desert zebra in its smaller size and rarer stripes; from the mountain zebra - the absence of a "breast", a characteristic bulge on the neck, and a pattern in the form of a lattice on the croup.

Habitat

Widely distributed in southeast Africa, from southern Ethiopia to eastern South Africa and Angola.

Inhabiting savannahs and steppes, the savanna zebra prefers grass and grass-shrub pastures, especially those located on hills and gentle slopes of low mountains. However, it also occurs in partially forested areas with tall grass, which contributes to the expansion of its range compared to other zebras. At night, zebras migrate to open areas, which provide less cover for predators.

In nature

Zebras are herd polygamous animals living in family herds. At the head of the herd is a stallion no younger than 5-6 years old, the rest are females and young animals. The size of the herd depends on the habitat conditions; as a rule, there are no more than 9-10 heads in it. A herd occurs when a young stallion chooses a mare. Soon several more females join them, and they stay together until the end of their lives. The composition of the family herd is constant, although when attacked by predators or during migrations, it can temporarily disintegrate, or unite with other herds into herds up to tens and hundreds of animals in size. In addition, zebras often graze side by side with other herbivores. Grouping in large herds is a protective measure - it reduces the chances that a particular animal will become prey to predators. Members of the family herd recognize each other even at a considerable distance. Within the herd there is a hierarchy of females with the oldest mare at the head. Young stallions are expelled from the family group at the age of 1-3 years; before this, there is no antagonism between them and the mowing stallion. Single adult males form separate herds or stay alone. Mowing stallions breed the mares of their herd, not allowing outside males to approach them. However, even if a single stallion beats off the female, after covering she again returns to her herd. Old or sick stallions are expelled from the herd, which is accompanied by fights. In general, fights between adult stallions that lead herds, and between stallions and bachelors are rare.

The savanna zebra roams widely due to seasonal changes in feeding conditions, moving to wetter areas during the dry season. In arid areas like the Serengeti (Tanzania), the total length of the annual nomadic path is 805 km, while in the wetter Ngorongoro (Tanzania), zebras live settled all year round. One of the adult mares (usually the oldest) leads the herd during migrations; it is followed by foals in order of increasing age, then other females with young ones, and the stallion closes the procession. Places of grazing and watering are relatively permanent, but are not protected by members of the herd from other zebras and herbivores. The size of the feeding area of ​​one herd can vary from 31 to 622 km².

They feed on herbaceous vegetation, eating about 50 types of herbs. Leaves and shoots are eaten in smaller quantities. Zebras depend on water sources, as they must drink at least once a day, and never move a significant distance from them.

reproduction

The first estrus in mares occurs at the age of 13-15 months; a mowing stallion breeds females starting at 1.5 years of age. However, fertilization occurs no earlier than at 2-2.5 years, and for the first time the female brings a foal no earlier than at 3-3.5 years. Immature females are often beaten off and taken away from the herd by single males. Males become sexually mature at 3 years, but due to competition with older males, they collect their own harems not earlier than 5-6 years.

Zebras do not have a specific breeding season, although their peak birth occurs at the beginning of the rainy season, December-January. So, according to research in the Ngorongoro Reserve, in January - March (rainy season) 2/3 of the foals will be born, and in April - September (dry season) - only 1/10 part. Pregnancy lasts 346-390 days, with an average of 370 days. Litter 1, rarely 2 cubs weighing up to 30 kg. Within 10-15 minutes after birth, the foal stands up on its own, after 20 minutes it takes its first steps, after 30-45 minutes it travels noticeable distances, after an hour it starts sucking its mother. Usually, the first days after the appearance of the foal, the female does not let anyone get closer than 3 m to him. The mowing stallion, as a rule, keeps close to the giving birth mare and, if necessary, protects her. If the newborn is in danger (for example, from hyenas that roam in search of newborn ungulates), the mother hides with the cub in the herd, and all the zebras take part in their protection; however, the mortality of cubs from attacks by lions and hyenas is high - up to 50%. Although the foal begins to graze after a week, milk feeding continues until 12-16 months. Usually zebras bring a foal 1 time in 2-3 years, but 1/6 of the mares foals annually, becoming pregnant immediately after childbirth. Mares are able to foal up to 15-18 years.

It is necessary to ensure that animals do not overeat. This is especially true of human food: bread, chips, sugar, corn flakes. Cucumbers grown in your own greenhouse are not the best option for zebra treats. Wild animals get sick from such food, their water-salt balance is disturbed, and treatment is quite long and expensive.

In captivity, wild horses do not have the usual dangers, therefore, with good care, they live longer than in nature. On the other hand, animals in a corral live in a very limited area, do not have the opportunity to independently determine the composition of the herd, which cannot but affect their well-being. If possible, care should be taken to ensure that the animals move as much as possible, and adult stallions should be separated so that they do not fight.

When keeping zebras in captivity, special attention should be paid to the hooves. In nature, hooves wear down on the ground during movement. But in the pen, the movement of the animal is minimized. If the hooves are not sharpened, they become deformed, become ugly, and walking begins to bring pain to the zebra. Therefore, from time to time it is necessary to trim and grind off part of the hooves, which can only be done under general anesthesia.

But if zebras are well kept, if they are regularly examined by a veterinarian, they will please you for a long time.

Life expectancy in captivity reaches 40 years.

In the modern world, many have the opportunity to see outlandish animals in zoo enclosures. Adventure seekers (and upper-middle-income earners) can afford more, such as traveling to a distant land to see the most amazing creatures in their natural habitat. Young lovers of zoology enjoy watching TV shows and reading books about our neighbors on the planet. But nature keeps many more secrets.

Our article will talk about zebras - unusual animals that have always attracted the attention of humans.

Some mistakenly take the okapi as a relative of the zebra, because its legs also have stripes. But the degree of kinship with him is quite small (this is an animal from the Giraffe family).

Places where zebras, rhinos, lions live attract tourists. Routes are built in such a way that visitors can see as much as possible. Predators are fed by national park workers so that they do not show excessive interest in people and herbivorous neighbors.

But in the wild, zebras try to avoid such large and aggressive animals. But with herbivorous counterparts, for example, buffalo and giraffes, they get along well. Often herds huddle together in a motley mass to defend themselves.

Representatives of different species of zebras do not contact each other in the natural environment, because they live in different territories.

Zebra Gravy and its range

This animal is also called the desert zebra. Unfortunately, at present, about 2,500 individuals remain in their natural environment.

Gravy is the largest. In length, such a zebra reaches 3 meters, the height at the withers is 1.4 meters.

Countries where the Grevy zebra lives: Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia. These animals settle only in deserts and semi-deserts. The basis of the diet is coarse vegetation, shrubs.

Where does Burchell's zebra live?

This subspecies lives in savannas and steppes. The range extends to the countries of southeast Africa from southern Ethiopia to the east of Angola and South Africa, including Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Uganda, Zambia and South Sudan.

Among all species, this is the most common and numerous.

Where zebras live and what they eat also depends on the species, because the diet is determined by the climatic zone. Compared to Gravy, Burchell's menu is more varied. It includes not only land plants, but also leaves and bark of trees.

Mountain zebra habitats

Scientists divide this species into two subspecies. The Hartmann's zebra can be seen in the mountains of South Africa and Namibia, no higher than 2 km above sea level. The number of subspecies is about 15 thousand heads.

The Cape zebra is the smallest subspecies of the extant subspecies. According to scientists, there are currently no more than 700 individuals. They live in the South African Zebra National Zebra Park, as well as near the Cape of Good Hope.

Lifestyle

In the wild, these animals gather in small herds-harems. An adult stallion is always at the head, several females with babies live with him. Despite polygamy, zebra families are very strong, partners do not part all their lives. Only the death of a male can cause the herd to break up.

The places where zebras live usually do not contain natural shelters, so the animals rely only on their own legs. All zebras are excellent runners, they can run at speeds up to 70 km/h.

Social roles in the group are distributed. During the rest of the herd, at least two females are awake, and in case of danger they make noise. During the movement to the watering hole, the most experienced female walks first, and the male, the head of the family, closes the column.

It is customary for zebras to help each other out, to take care of the wounded. In the event of an attack, the herd surrounds weak, small and sick relatives, preventing hyenas and jackals from getting close to them. By the way, these animals can attack even large cats in a group, seeing them approaching the parking lot. Powerful hooves and jaws with massive teeth can notably spoil a lion's skin. But, of course, a considerable percentage of such fights end in victory for the lionesses.

The birth of a striped baby

Zebra pregnancy lasts a year or a little more (depending on the subspecies and the age of the female). The baby is born large, about 30 kg, and quite independent. He almost immediately gets on his feet and takes the first steps.

The mother does not let him near the herd for the first couple of days, until he begins to confidently recognize her smell and stripe pattern. Breastfeeding lasts about 16 months, almost until sexual maturity.

What do a snowflake, a zebra and a human palm have in common? All three examples are unique. The pattern of stripes does not repeat, it is impossible to find two identical zebras. It is by the stripes that they recognize each other.

For a long time, the question of whether this animal is black with white stripes or, conversely, remained open. Today, scientists agreed that this option is correct, because the ancestor of the zebra was dark, and the white spots were transformed into stripes during evolution.

The tsetse fly, a natural enemy of many inhabitants of Africa, recognizes only plain spots. The striped herd is practically invisible to her.

In the wild, zebras live for 25 years. But in the park, thanks to good care, protection from poachers and predators, as well as a balanced diet, they live up to 40 years.

The sad fate of the quagga

A beautiful color and a well-dressed skin caused the quaggs to become one of the most coveted hunting trophies. According to scientists, these inhabitants of the African savannas were not at all afraid of humans, due to which they became easy prey for the hunter.

At the end of the century before last, the quaggs were completely exterminated.

Currently, only a few photographs of these animals have been preserved. They differed from other species and subspecies in color: the body of the quagga was not completely covered with stripes.

But if earlier beautiful skins were the main object of increased interest, today research motives prevail. A person begins to understand that the consumer attitude to the wealth of the planet, the thoughtless extermination of the living and the foolish spending of resources will sooner or later turn against him. Of course, it is too early to declare the eradication of poaching, but the first steps have already been taken, a common noble goal has been outlined. Conservation activities, the activities of global funds and volunteer initiatives give hope that the sad history of the quagga will not be repeated.

Zebra is an animal that is a close relative of wild horses, donkeys, tapirs and rhinos. The name was borrowed from the natives and has no exact meaning. To date, there are three species of this animal and quagga, which was completely destroyed by man.

Zebra - characteristics and description

The zebra (Hippotigris) is a primitive species of the equine family. Refers to mammals, is included in the order of artiodactyls. Includes a combination of donkey and horse.

The size of the animal is up to 2 m in length, weighs up to 355 kg. Height from 1.35 to 1.55 m. The male is larger than the female.

The legs are shorter and thicker than those of ordinary horses with large, reliable hooves, the head is heavy and large. The resemblance to a donkey lies in the long ears and tail with a tassel at the end (50 cm).

The mane is erect with short stiff hair, located from head to tail. The color is contrasting - white and black transverse stripes throughout the body. Colors may vary slightly, depending on the breed of zebra. The neck is muscular, large.

Zebras are not as fast as horses, but if necessary they can reach speeds of up to 85 km/h. During the pursuit, the zebra begins to run in zigzags in order to confuse the enemy. This tactic makes the animal a difficult prey that many predators give up after a few minutes of chasing.

The poor eyesight of an individual is completely compensated by its excellent sense of smell, which helps to smell the danger from afar and warn its herd.

The animal, depending on the situation, makes peculiar sounds, similar to the barking of dogs, the cries of a donkey, the neighing of a horse.

The life expectancy of a donkey in favorable conditions of the wild is up to 30 years. In captivity, this figure increases to 40 years.

Zebra species

Zebra has several types:

Savannah (Equus quagga or Equus burchelli) or Burchell's zebra

This animal got its name from the famous English botanist William Burchell.

The color depends on where the zebra lives. The species is divided into 4 subspecies, which are distributed throughout Southeast Africa:

• Chapman's zebra, habitat Southern Angola, Transylvania. It is distinguished by narrow stripes along the body, not reaching the hooves.
• Zebra Boehme, Granta has a small number of dark stripes on the neck. It is common in northern Africa.
• Burchell's zebra itself is exterminated.

The savanna variety is distinguished by small ears, the absence of a breastplate. Black stripes on the rump are intertwined into a lattice.

The size is up to 2.7 m in length, up to 1.46 m in height. Weight can reach 345 kg.

Food: cereals. It is difficult to tolerate drought, in search of water it can migrate to forest, mountainous areas. No more than 10 individuals live in family herds.

Grevy's Desert Zebra (Equus grevyi)

The individual got its name in honor of Jules Grevy, the President of France, who at the end of the nineteenth century was presented with a gift from the rulers of Abyssinia in the form of a striped horse.

The animal is large, body length up to 3.1 m, weight over 405 kg. The color is dominated by light colors. A wide black belt runs down the middle of the back. The remaining stripes are thin and close to each other, not reaching the abdomen, where they are absent. Rounded brown ears.

The habitat is the eastern part of Africa. Where the zebra lives, the desert area prevails.

Mountain zebra (Equus zebra)

The color of the individual is characterized by the predominance of dark tones. Large black stripes alternate with thin white ones, reaching to the hooves. The mountain zebra weighs a maximum of 375 kg, the length of the animal reaches 2.3 meters, the height is up to 1.6 m.

• Mountain zebra Cape. It is protected by the South African states from complete extermination. At the beginning of the 20th century, the individual became the smallest. On the head are thin stripes of black color, which are absent on the belly of the animal. Maximum height up to 131 cm, weight - 266 kg.
• Hartman's mountain zebra. The individual also dies out through the fault of man: farmers are actively shooting them, protecting the pastures of their livestock. Over the past 17 years, the population has decreased by 7 times and today does not exceed 16,000 individuals. The mountainous regions of Nambia, where the zebra lives, are the main sources of food and their breeding area. Hartmann's mountain zebra is distinguished by narrow dark stripes and larger dimensions than its relative, the Cape. The height of the animal is 1.6 m, weight is more than 355 kg.

This type of animal has several names:

• donkey;
• low;
• zebrul;
• zebrapon;
• zebroid.

The specimen appeared in 1815. To obtain the species, a male zebra is crossed with a mare or donkey. The variety is more like a horse with an unusual color. Hybrids are aggressive in nature, but at the same time amenable to training.

Quagga (Equus quagga quagga)

This Burchell zebra is extinct. The researchers claim that the individual had a striped color in front and bay in the back. The body length reached 185 cm. Tamed quaggas were used by humans to protect herds. The last individual died in 1883 in the zoo of the Dutch capital.

Where does the zebra live? Habitat

Africa is the only continent where the zebra lives. Each species has its own habitat:

• The Burchells live in the steppes and shrouds in the southeast of the continent: Ethiopia, South Africa, Angola, South Sudan, Mozambique.
• Gravy lives in the desert regions of Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia.
• Mountain zebra occupies Nambia, Cape of Good Hope, South Africa.

Plains, mountains, deserts, forests - these are the places where a zebra can live comfortably, unless a person disturbs their normal life.

What does a zebra eat?

The habitat can tell about what the animal eats, most often it is:

• grass;
• tree bark;
• plant roots;
• shrub foliage;
• tree buds;
• young shoots.

The stomach of the animal has a simple structure and a large number of protozoa live in it, which help to process fiber, and over time supply the animal with vitamins and proteins.

The diet of the zebra is low in calories, which makes the animal eat all day long. Water also plays a very important role, since the individual does not tolerate thirst well and must drink at least once a day. This is especially true for lactating females who constantly need water.

If the usual places of watering, such as rivers, lakes dry up, the zebra independently digs holes, wells in which water accumulates after rains or penetrates from underground flows.

In the driest times, animals move to places where there are green pastures and watering places, sometimes for this they have to travel huge distances.

Zebra lifestyle

The animal lives in herds, where the head is one male, next to which several females live. The head of the family is the main guarantor of peace and security for his mares and offspring. He fiercely defends his herd and sometimes enters into unequal battles with predators.

At these moments, a peaceful zebra becomes a fierce fighter and shows a strong character, temper and reasonable aggression.

Animals distinguish each other by:

• smell;
• voice
• body patterns.

The main feature of the horse's relative is that she sleeps standing up. To do this, all individuals of the herd huddle together to protect themselves from predators.

Interesting facts about zebras: the mood of the animal can be determined by the ears. In a peaceful and good mood, the ears stand straight. During the manifestation of fear, they are directed forward, anger - back. Aggression of the animal is manifested by a nervous snort. When approaching a predator, the zebra begins to make a barking sound. It is very difficult to tame an individual.

The color of a zebra is its passport. It is proved that each individual has its own individual, unique pattern, which is never repeated in another similar animal. The special arrangement and size of the stripes helps the foal to find its mother, and the adult animal to distinguish one zebra from another.

What color a zebra is, sometimes it is very difficult to say. Its striping is a special sign that gives rise to controversy: a zebra is white or still black.

Many zoologists have come to the conclusion that bright colors are not a way of disguise, but rather a method of attracting attention in order to more easily navigate pastures. This helps not to cluster in one place, but to be evenly distributed over the entire area. Stripes are the distinguishing mark of each herd, along which the boundaries of their residence are marked.

In fact, the main color of the zebra is black, this was shown by special studies of animals at the embryonic level. The dark background occurs against the background of pigmentation, and white stripes appear due to its absence.

The color of the zebra has been causing many questions for a long time, not only among ordinary people, but also among scientists. There were many hypotheses, but none of them was confirmed.

To date, British researchers have found that extremely bright colors repel horseflies.

Color helps to find out the habitat of the animal:

• zebras from the northern plains - white and black stripes;
• animals from the southern savannas - stripes are black and gray, sometimes chestnut.

In some zebras, the black stripes merge and form a spotted pattern. Foals are born with reddish-brown coloration.

Enemies in the wild

The main dangerous enemy of the zebra is the African lion, which loves the meat of this animal very much and considers it a delicacy. Most often, a predator watches for its prey on the way to a watering place or looks for young individuals that have strayed from the herd.

Also, a zebra can become a victim:

In times of danger, a relative of a horse can reach speeds of up to 70 km / h, which does not always allow predators to enjoy their delicious meat. The zebra is able to run very cleverly in zigzags, confusing even very experienced hunters.

The zebra defends itself with the help of powerful hooves, with which it hits the enemy with all its strength, sometimes such a blow can be fatal. Also, the animal bites very painfully.

Zebra breeding

Estrus in the female begins in late spring - summer. During this period, she begins to spread her hind limbs and take her tail away in order to show her readiness for the breeding process.

The pregnancy of the animal lasts about a year, and childbirth may coincide with the period of conception. After the birth of a foal, the female can become pregnant again in a week. Zebra bears offspring once a year.

The female gives birth to one baby:

• height 81 cm;
• weight 31 kg.

In half an hour, an hour after birth, the foal gets on its feet, and after a few weeks it begins to eat grass on its own in small quantities.

Breastfeeding lasts about a year. Zebras with young offspring become a separate herd. Until the age of three, cubs stay in the same group, otherwise they become easy prey for predators. At the age of 1 to 3 years, young males are expelled from the herd so that he can form his own family.

Male zebras become sexually mature at three years old, and females at two years old. The childbearing age of a zebra lasts up to 18 years.

The milk of the female has an unusual pink color. It is very important for the foal, as it contains all the necessary substances, minerals, vitamins for the proper development, growth of the baby and strengthening his immunity. A zebra produces as much milk as a foal needs. It also helps the intestines to function fully without causing problems for the baby.

At first, the female protects the baby very much and, sensing danger, hides him in the herd in order to take advantage of the help of her relatives.

Most often, an animal in captivity is in a zoo and its maintenance is completely similar to caring for wild horses:

• kept in weatherproof stalls;
• they offer ordinary horse feed for food;
• control overeating.

Animals should not be given human food, especially bread, cornflakes, chips, sugar cubes. Such nutrition provokes a number of diseases and shortens the life of an individual.

Zoo workers periodically trim their hooves, as in captivity the animal cannot fully grind them off on its own, which leads to severe anguish and pain.

They try to keep adult males separately so that they do not behave aggressively towards each other. Hybrids are used on the farm, like ordinary horses or donkeys, and are kept in the same way.

Zebra is called not only representatives of the horse family. These can be exotic fish and the popular snail, which received the prefix zebra to their names because of their unusual, bright color.

Zebra is a beautiful, unique animal that has the following features:

• in the family of animals it is customary to observe a strict hierarchy;
• when resting, several zebras work as sentries, keeping the entire flock safe;
• there is an opinion that zebra stripes are needed so that lions cannot visually distinguish them from the crowd;
• males have special fangs that help them in the battles for the safety of the herd;
• tsetse flies cannot attack the animal, as they are knocked down by the flashing of the stripes;
• The zebra's stomach is designed in a special way, which allows it to eat very rough food, which is not suitable for other herbivores.

And these are not all interesting facts about the zebra. The animal is distinguished by its special beauty and grace, which not only fascinates, but also arouses admiration. Unfortunately, man not only admires this individual, but also takes part in its extinction.

2. The word "zebra" (zebra) has African roots. It was borrowed from the dialect of the natives by the colonists. Together with the elephant, giraffe, lion and hippo, she is one of the symbols of the rich animal world of the sunny African continent, although it is somewhat harsh and cruel.

3.Zebras are one of the few species of odd-toed mammals, which also include horses and donkeys. Unpaired hooves are an adaptation for running fast on hard ground.

4. Zebras belong to the genus of horses, but among all representatives of this genus they have the most unusual appearance.

5. The Romans used zebras to pull circus wagons.

6.Zebras - inhabitants of African shrouds, steppes and mountain plateaus. They often migrate in search of food and water, uniting in herds and families into large herds. Such associations help them protect themselves from predators and safely reach new pastures.

7. Once upon a time in ancient times, people wanted to tame these animals. However, this did not bring positive results. It is even believed that the zebra is one of the most shy animals in nature.

8. Now only three species of zebras live: Burchell, or ordinary, mountain and Grevy. Two of them are listed in the International Red Book as an endangered species (mountain and Grevy).

9. The reasons for the disappearance of zebras are: sport hunting for zebras, as well as hunting for valuable skins, loss of the most suitable territories for animals due to population growth.

10. With the help of a special project, scientists from South Africa are trying to restore the extinct subspecies of zebra - the quagga.

Grevy's Zebra

11. The desert variety of zebra is named after Jules Grevy (one of the French presidents of the 19th century), who received a striped animal as a gift from the authorities of Abyssinia. This is the largest animal from the horse family. Its length is up to 3 meters, weight - more than 400 kg. A distinctive feature is the predominance of white-yellow or white, as well as a dark wide stripe stretching along the center of the back. Grevy's stripes are thinner and closer, and on the abdomen they are completely absent.

12. Zebra Grevy is common in Ethiopia, Kenya, Meru, Uganda, Somalia.

13. In ancient Rome, Grevy's zebras were called "hippotigris" and trained to learn how to pull cards in the circus.

14. Zebra is a very clean animal. They take care of each other's skin very reverently and affectionately. By the way, after all, what kind of “skin” do they have, black and white or white and black? Scientists finally shed light and gave a definite answer - zebras have black and white stripes!

15. Zebras can interbreed with donkeys, horses and ponies. The result is a hybrid offspring. Such hybrids are called zebroids or zebrules.

mountain zebra

16. Mountain populations of zebras are common in South Africa and Namibia at an altitude of mountainous areas up to 2000 meters. Initially, zebras were distributed almost throughout the mainland, but today their numbers have greatly decreased.

17. The mountain zebra has the darkest coloration, where black tones predominate. The white stripes are thin. On the legs, they can be traced to the very hooves. Weight - from 260 to 370 kg, length - 2.2 meters.

18. There is a species of zebra named Asinus Burchelli. They received this name after the conflict between William John Burschel and John Edward Grey. Burshel brought one of the specimens of such a zebra to the British Museum, but the zebra died. To confuse Burschel, Gray gave the zebras a name that means Burchelli's Ass.

19. In Roman circuses, the zebra was usually called "tiger-horse", or "horse-tiger".

20. Representatives of the national American culture treat zebras as a symbol of balance and confidence on the road.

Burchell's zebra

21. Burchell's zebra lives in the savannas of southeast Africa. This is the most common species, which got its name in honor of W. Burchell (English botanist). The pattern of the skin of this species of zebra varies depending on the habitat: the northern subspecies have a more pronounced pattern, the southern ones are distinguished by the presence of beige shades on a white background and blurred stripes in the lower body. Weight - up to 340 kg.

22. Zebras can rotate their ears in almost any direction. They use this ability to keep in touch with the rest of the herd.

23. Frequent migrations and transitions of zebras helped them gain endurance and stamina even in the most difficult conditions. But in addition to endurance, zebras also have other qualities and skills that help them survive in the difficult conditions of wild Africa.

24. Why do zebras have stripes? When zebras gather together, it is difficult for predators to choose one horse from the pack.

25. Different types of zebras have different types of stripes - from narrow to wide. In fact, the further you travel to the south of the African peninsula, the more different the colors of zebras will be.

26. Pregnancy of a female lasts approximately 370 days. A stallion guards a mare during the birth of a cub. Usually there is one foal in a litter (weight up to 30 kg), and very rarely twins are born. The baby gets up about 15 minutes after birth and almost immediately takes the first steps. Milk from a zebra is an unusual pink color. It is intended for newborns. Despite good care, almost half of the foals die in infancy due to attacks by hyenas and lions.

27. Where zebras live, family herds are formed under the leadership of an adult stallion. The main part of the herd is females of various ages and their cubs. The head is the oldest mare. Males who have reached the age of 1–3 years form their own herd or live alone.

28. Under favorable circumstances, in natural conditions, zebras can live up to 30 years, and in captivity they live even up to 40 years.

29. When a zebra is chased, it uses a special tactic - running in zigzags. This allows her to become inaccessible to many predators. This animal sees poorly, but it has a well-developed sense of smell, which allows you to feel the danger at great distances.

30. Plain zebras live in meadows and are distributed throughout the continent, in places where there are necessary conditions - grass and water. Mountain zebras live, as the name implies, in mountainous areas on the territory of the arid African states of Angola, Namibia and South Africa. Grevy's zebras live in the area covered with bushes and grass in eastern Africa - Kenya and Ethiopia. Usually antelopes are found in the same places, so both species receive additional protection from predators.

31. During seasonal migrations, these animals, together with wildebeests, often gather in a single herd of more than one and a half million individuals.

32. Zebras have black skin under their fur, which is why many claim that zebras have white stripes on a black background, but others dispute this claim.

33. In height, adult zebras can reach from 110 to 150 centimeters, if you do not take into account the head. The weight of zebras can vary greatly depending on the subspecies - from 175 to 380 kilograms. Males are usually 10 percent heavier than females.

34. Zebra sounds are very diverse. They are similar to the barking of a dog, the neighing of a horse, the cries of a donkey, etc. It all depends on the situation.

35. Zebra stripes are unique. Their uniqueness can be compared to human fingerprints. How do zebras find each other in a whole herd? And the newly born foal to his mother? Precisely for the striped, unique color no one else has.