The wild zebra is a herbivorous animal and are African equines with striking black and white stripes on their coats. Zebras are frequently seen in zoos. They move, gallop, and trot like horses and thus bear a strong resemblance to them. They are regarded as one of the most beautiful animals due to their black and white stripes, which distinguishes them from others. Zebras are odd-toed ungulates that fall under the Perissodactyla order. This order is made up of three families: Equidae (horses, asses, and zebras), Rhinocerotidae (rhinos), and Tapiridae (tapirs).
- There are three types of zebras that are still alive today: mountain Zebra (E. zebra), plains zebra (E. quagga) and Grévy’s Zebra (E. grevyi).
- Zebras can breed not only with other zebras but also with horses, ponies, and donkeys because they all engage in the same sexual behaviour. Zorses are crossbreeds of zebras and horses.
- The zebra has one of the most distinct coats of any animal. The stripes of each animal are as distinct as fingerprints—no two are exactly the same as each other each of the three species has its own general pattern. You can assume that it’s like a big bar code wrapped on the animal.
- Did you ever think about what colour zebra is? Then here is the explanation. All fur grows from follicles containing pigment-producing melanocyte cells. These melanocytes are deactivated in white fur. This implies that black is the natural colour of the fur, which is why most authorities and experts refer to zebras as black with white stripes.
- Zebras can be domesticated and trained, but because they are aggressive and hostile, they are challenging to domesticate. Unlike horses, which have herds, zebras do not have a hierarchy or family structure. Just because zebras congregate does not imply that they have family or friends.
- Plains and mountain zebras live in family groups led by a stallion and comprised of several mares and offspring. According to the San Diego Zoo, family groups (known as harems) occasionally form loosely associated herds.
- Zebras must be able to flee predators because they live in the wild. They can see in the dark thanks to their night vision. Zebras have excellent hearing as well as a keen sense of taste and smell. All three zebra species are found in Africa.
- Horses, zebras, and elephants can all sleep while standing. Horses, zebras, and elephants are just a few examples of animals that can sleep standing up because it allows them to flee a predator’s attack more quickly.
- Zebras, like domestic horses, devote a lot of time and effort to rearing their young. Zebra foals have soft, fuzzy fur and initially have brown and white stripes. Their legs are already nearly as long as an adult zebra’s, and they can start walking in 20 minutes and run in an hour.
- Zebra of the plains have a great ability to run and can run at a speed of 65 km/h.
- You can tell how zebras are feeling by looking at their ears: erect ears indicate calm, ears straining forward indicate fear, and ears flattened back indicate anger. Zebras live in large herds, which are typically led by an old stallion. This improves their ability to detect predators.
- Zebras mate all year and have a gestation period of about 12-13 months, with the birth of one foal on average.
- All three species live relatively lives long, up to 40 years in captivity and 25 years in the wild. A herd of zebras migrates more than 300 miles across Namibia and Botswana, further than any other African mammal known.
