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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 there are thin strips 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.

It is necessary to immediately determine that in one word to the question: “Where do zebras live?” you won't answer. Because these animals are divided into species, and each has its own. In addition, they differ from each other in complexion and color. The largest are the gravy that live in the desert. Others are smaller.

What continent does a zebra live on?

These animals have mastered only the space of Africa. At the same time, their natural habitat area is quite large. So, there is a species that lives in arid areas. This is a desert zebra. The name of the species speaks for itself and suggests that they are found in Ethiopia. They are found in the arid plains of Kenya and Somalia. Animals are adapted to living in areas with sparse vegetation. They tolerate hot periods well, when food has to be searched, moving from place to place. Smaller than other mountain zebra. It is found in the open spaces and in Angola. This species is endangered. The number of individuals does not exceed 700 goals. More often than others, it occurs in nature. It lives in the savannahs in the east and south of the continent.

Lifestyle

Animals are most often kept in small herds. Sometimes lonely zebras adjoin a herd of giraffes. They are quite defenseless. In nature, they are hunted by a lion. Here he knows exactly where the zebras live. This is his prey. Lions prefer to hunt single or sick animals. Since, despite the relative slowness, a zebra can give a predator a good rebuff. Among natural enemies, striped horses should also be afraid of hyenas and crocodiles. The latter lie in wait for a defenseless victim near the water.

The leader stands out in the herd. But he exercises "general leadership" and ensures the safety of his family. And the older female leads the herd to a watering hole or lush meadows. The family harem consists of several females per male. This is a clear rule. The male will not share the harem with anyone. During a wandering, the leader usually closes the procession in order to be able to prevent the attack of the enemy.

extinct species

I must say that this species of animals was thoughtlessly exterminated by Europeans. Zebra skin was highly valued. And the animal could not protect itself from hunters. As a result, one species of zebra was completely exterminated. This is the Kawagga, who once lived in South Africa. Sandy on top, and white below, it stood out among its relatives with its special beauty, for which it suffered. Although a hundred and fifty years ago, the genus of these animals was the most numerous. Hunters preferred kavagg because of the delicious meat and beautiful skin. She was considered an excellent target for sport hunting. The result is deplorable: the last animal of this species died in 1883 at the Amsterdam Zoo. The kavagga was the lightest of the animals in question. The rest have a skin of gray-black shades.

How many years do zebras live

Nature, unlike humans, is very affectionate towards its striped creatures. In their natural environment, they have few enemies. How long do zebras live? Hunters greatly shorten the life of animals. But if no one interferes with them, then they quite calmly live up to thirty years. These horses are very peaceful and calm. not typical for them. There are cases of male zebra attacks on hyenas. This is another of their worst enemies. The male, acting with hooves and teeth, will drive away a weak predator from his offspring. The population growth is due to the rigidity of the "family" structure of these animals. The whole herd is divided into clans, each of which consists of a male and several females. Young animals graze with them. The growing male from this society is expelled after a year. He needs to start his own family. Whatever the size of the common herd of animals, the groups do not mix. Each lives its own life, roams its territory. Usually zebras do not fight among themselves for pastures and watering places. They quite peacefully exist next to other families.

It is quite natural that once in the vast African savannas, a person asks questions about where zebras live, how to find them. This is especially true when there is no conductor. Travelers who want to admire the colorful beauties should know that zebras do not go far from tasty grass and fresh water. Therefore, it is necessary to look for them where there is all this wealth. Often their herds are accompanied by giraffes, which can be seen from afar. Many are interested in why nature endowed these animals with such an original color? There are different opinions on this matter. It is believed that this is, so to speak, a defense mechanism. The fact is that such a pockmarked skin is poorly distinguished by the eyes of a predator. A lion or other enemy cannot see the outline of the animal. It is perceived as a pockmarked spot, which makes it very difficult to attack. Not everyone agrees with this. Especially when you consider that predators hunt at night, when the treacherous stripes stand out clearly in the moonlight. They also cannot protect from the heat, although such assumptions have often been put forward. Interestingly, the pattern of each individual is unique. Each species has its own color characteristics, but the stripes of an individual animal are as individual as fingerprints.

Zebras are one of the most beautiful creatures that inhabit Africa. People know their famous stripes on the body and can not decide in any way whether they are white with black stripes or still black with white.

Here are a few facts you may not know about these striped animals.

1. They are actually white with black or dark brown stripes. However, the skin under the coat is black.

2. There are different types of zebras that differ in the shape of their stripes. Animals that live in the mountains usually have vertical stripes on the neck and torso and horizontal stripes on the legs.

3. While running, the animals move in a zigzag pattern. This makes it harder for predators to catch them.

4. The pattern on the body of a zebra is special and is not repeated in any other individual. This makes them as unique as snowflakes.

5. The black and white striped pattern of their cover is a good protection against insects, which nature has given them. Horseflies and other bloodsuckers stay away from him.

6. Zebras live in herds.

7. Representatives of the national American culture refer to zebras as a symbol of balance and confidence on the road.

8. The word "zebra" in Swahili sounds like "punda milia".

9. The Romans used zebras to pull circus wagons.

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

A few more facts...

11. If they encounter predators, they form a semi-circle and attack or drive them back if they come closer. They also surround an injured family member to protect him if the need arises.

12. Mother zebra isolates her foal from other members of the herd for several days until he gets used to her smell, voice and appearance.

13. Zebras in a herd have their own hierarchy. The main place is occupied by the male, followed by the "harem" (a group of females).

14. If the herd travels, then all individuals are led by the male. At the same time, he lowers his head low and takes his ears back.

15. Zebras come together to confuse predators that don't have color vision (like lions).

16. Zebras are one of the few mammals that (commonly believed) have color vision.

17. In fact, zebras are not tall, their height can reach from one to one and a half meters.

18. Grevy's zebra is named after French President Jules Grevy (1882), who received it as a gift from the Emperor of Abyssinia.

19. Another name for greevy zebras is imperial zebras.

20. The speed of a zebra is 65 km / h.

And besides...

21. As a rule, zebras do not lie down during sleep. They are standing.

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. A zebra has one toe on each foot.

24. These animals cannot see orange.

25. 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.

A herd of striped horses gallops across the African savannah, these are zebras. This report will introduce these animals, tell a lot of interesting things about them.

Description of the animal

It is very easy to imagine a zebra. This is a black horse with white stripes. Its color is very similar to the sea vest. In height, it grows up to 1.3 meters, body length - up to 2.5 meters, and this horse weighs 350 kg.

It is interesting that in all of Africa there are no two identical zebras. Each color is unique like fingerprints.

Where and how does a zebra live

Zebras live in herds of 6-10 individuals. There is only one male in each group, all the rest are females with foals.

Striped horses do not have a permanent residence. In search of new pastures and water they constantly moving from place to place. At the head of the herd is the most adult female, followed by other zebras, the procession is closed by the male, who protects the herd from dangers.

These animals of Africa feed on grass, young growth of shrubs, leaves of the lower branches of trees.

Zebra calmly grazes in the company of other animals - buffaloes, gazelles, giraffes and even ostriches.

In the wild, a striped horse lives up to 30 years, in captivity - up to 45.

reproduction

At the age of two years, a young female can already bring offspring. Zebras usually mate during the rainy season. The pregnancy of the female lasts a year, most often one cub is born, very rarely two.

Within half an hour, a newborn baby gets on his feet, and in just an hour he can run after his mother. The foal feeds on mother's milk for up to a year, although already at the age of two months it calmly nibbles grass.

natural enemies

Who attacks the zebra? Her main enemy is . Also, zebras are attacked by other African predators - cheetahs, they are threatened by an alligator at a watering hole, babies often die from hyenas.

Nature, in order to protect the zebra, rewarded her with excellent vision and hearing. Also, zebra very shy and cautious. When the herd is grazing or resting at a watering hole, one or two striped horses are on duty, carefully looking around and listening. At the slightest alarm, they give a signal and the whole herd runs away. Zebra jumps at a speed of 65 km / h, she winds no worse, abruptly changing direction and not allowing the predator to grab herself.

Protecting foals, adult zebras rear up, bite and kick.

Who knows what:

• African zebra can bark,;
• pink zebra milk;
• he never mounts a striped horse;
• the zebra cannot be tamed, although it can live in captivity in zoos.