Interesting Facts on a Zebra

Grevy's zebras can tolerate arid conditions.

Members of the Equidae family, which includes horses and asses, zebras have never been truly domesticated. Today, there are three distinct species of zebra: the plain zebra (Equus zebra), the mountain zebra (Equus quagga) and Grevy's zebra (Equus grevyi).

Classification and Evolution

The name zebra is derived from zevra, which means wild ass in Old Portuguese. This is quite a fitting name because zebras were second, after the asses, to diverge from the early proto-horses, 4 million years ago. Grevy's zebras are believed to be the most ancient lineage of zebra.

Habitat

Plain zebras live in great numbers in Tanzania and Kenya, but they are found throughout eastern, southern and southwestern Africa. They generally live in open grassland and low density woodland. Plain zebras are a migratory species and can be seen annually migrating in massive herds across the Serengeti.

Grevy's zebra have a much more restricted range, existing only in Ethiopia, northern Kenya and Somalia. Since they can tolerate low water levels better than other zebra, they often live in semi-arid regions.

Mountain zebra live in high altitudes and can be found in the hills of Angola and Namibia. Their hard, pointed hooves allow them to forage at heights of more than 12,000 feet. They move to higher ground during the dry season.

The Stripes

It was originally thought that zebras were white in color overlain by black stripes. However, today, through embryological analysis, scientists discovered that zebras actually have dark background color, with the white stripes on top. Each zebra has a stripe pattern unique to that individual.

Current thinking is split on the main function of the zebra's stripes. Some argue that it has a purely camouflage function, while others insist it functions as an identification cue between individuals. A recent theory argues that it has also evolved as a disruption to the visual perception of the tsetse fly.

Zebra in Human Culture

Zebras have been ever-present in the folklore of many African tribes. The Khoisan people of Namibia believed that the zebra got its black stripes during a fight with a baboon over a waterhole. After delivering a powerful kick to the baboon, the zebra lost its balance and fell into a nearby fire. The burn marks it got from pressing against the sun-heated sticks in the fire produced black burn marks. Zebras also appear on the Botswana coat of arms.

References

• San Diego Zoo: Zebra
• Gateway Africa: How the Zebra Got His Stripes
• The Guardian: How Did the Zebra Get His Stripes?