Facts about Zebra

Having a horse-like body and prominent black and white stripes all over, the Zebra is instantly and most easily recognizable. But in maximum cases, our knowledge about this animal concludes just there. As such, this article mentions some quick, interesting facts about the zebra. With the information being crisp and to the point, you get to know so many fun facts about the zebra without getting bored. So read on.

Quick Facts About Zebras

Class - Mammalia

Order - Perissodactyla

Family - Equidae

Genus - Equus

Species - zebra (mountain)

Burchelli (plains)

Grevyi (Grévy's)

Names Adult Male - stallion

Adult Female - mare

Adolescent Female - filly

Adolescent Male - colt

Young - foal

Group - herd

Conservation Concerns - Grévy's zebra and the mountain zebra are endangered because of unlawful hunting and destruction of their habitat.

Range - Eastern and southern Africa.

Habitat - Savannas, plains as well as the mountainous regions.

Size - Adults grow to about 1.5 m (5 ft) at the shoulder. The largest species ‘Grévy's zebra’ is around 450 kg (990 lb) in weight.

Feeding Habits - Zebras are herbivores and mostly eat grass.

Offspring - The female zebra normally procreates a foal after a gestation period of one year. For the initial 12 months of its life, the foal nurses on its mother. It leaves its mother after one to three years.

Life Span – Around 12 years in the wild.

Interesting Information on Zebra

The Grévy’s zebra is named after former French president, Jules Grévy who was in power from 1879 till 1887.
Zebras are able to recognize other zebras due to the different stripe patterns on their bodies. The same feature also equips researchers with a simple way for identifying the individuals they are studying.
The pattern of stripes on the body of every zebra is unique.
Mountain zebras take a dust bath almost on a daily basis.
Mountain zebras are expert climbers. Mountain zebras at South Africa and Namibia are known to reside at an elevation of 2000m above sea level. This particular specie of zebras has hard, pointed hooves that are well-suited for walking the slopes.
Certain specific features can help you recognize easily between the three different species of the zebra. For example, the mountain zebras have a dewlap, whereas Burchell's and Grevy's zebra species do not have a dewlap. Grevy's have a thick strip on their rump and extends towards their tail. Moreover, the Grevy also have a broader neck and a white belly. Burchell's zebras generally have 'shadow strips' (stripes of a lighter color between the darker stripes). They too have a white belly.
Adult male Burchell's zebras are quick to defend their families.
A 'zebdonk' is a cross between a Burchell's zebra and a donkey.
There are two subspecies of Burchell's zebra - Grant's zebra and Chapman's zebra.

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