Latin Name: Equus quagga
Other Names: Common Zebra, Burchell’s Zebra, Plains Zebra, Painted Zebra
Habitat and Range: Grasslands and woodlands of east and southeast Africa.
Captive/Wild Lifespan: Captive around 40 years, wild up to 20 years
Diet: Herbivore- high-crowned teeth allow them to eat coarser grasses than other hoofed animals cannot.
Adaptations: With only two seasons, wet and dry, zebras migrate with the waters to find food. Each yearly migration can be over 700 miles. Stripes are what makes this animal so recognizable, and they also tend to be the topic of debate among scientists. There are a lot of theories floating around as to the purpose of the stripes, some including a type of camouflage and others that deter bugs. Some Scientists believe the stripes confuse predators because they can’t determine one individual from the next, while others believe and have even done studies that the stripes deter biting insects because the stripes disrupt the attractive pattern to insects.
IUCN Status: Least Concern 2008.
Did you Know: There are 3 different species of Zebra (Plains, Grevy’s, and Mountain), and the main difference is in the stripes. Each species develops their stripes at different weeks in their embryonic development, which results in wider or smaller stripes in the animal.
