Zebras live only in African savannas. Because of the striped pattern on their skin, they are also called tiger horses. These are close relatives of the horse and donkey, which together form the equidae family (Equidae).
WILD HORSES OF AFRICA
In their structure, steppe zebras are similar to horses, and the head, short, stiff occipital mane and long, tasseled tail resemble a donkey. The height at the withers reaches almost 1.4 m, weight - up to 300 kg.
Steppe zebras live in open areas with grass or in open forests. Typical of these African wild horses is a springy gait. The structure of their legs allows them to sleep standing up without straining their muscles. Like all equines, the zebra has large molars that are used for grinding plant foods. Zebras, like horses, are nervous animals. They are very vigilant and, when attacked, mostly flee. On the other hand, stallions are extremely warlike and aggressive, they can bite painfully and hit their opponents hard with their hooves.
THE MYSTERY OF THE ZEBRA STRIPES
There are many theories about the meaning and purpose of the contrasting black and white pattern. Stripes have long been considered camouflage, which optically breaks up the outline of an animal's body (somatolysis) and protects it from large predators such as lions. But zebras never try to hide in the bushes, where such camouflage would make sense. Also, the assumption that lions can be confused by their striped pattern during an attack has not yet been confirmed. Another theory is that the striped pattern affects the eyes of tsetse flies in such a way that these stinging insects do not perceive zebras as an attack target. This point of view is supported by the fact that tsetse flies are carriers of pathogens of various diseases, in particular nagana, and zebras suffer relatively little from this disease. However, the contradiction is that zebras often move side by side with antelopes, which these flies attack. At a short distance, flies navigate by smell, and they are practically indifferent to whether their victims have stripes or not.
Most likely, the stripes on the skin serve a social function within the herd, since this is the only way to identify each animal. In any case, it has been proven that the striped pattern helps zebras recognize each other when grooming, which has an important role.
1). Grevy's zebra
2). Hartmann's mountain zebra
3). Chapman's zebra (steppe zebra subspecies)
4). Grant's zebra (subspecies of steppe zebra)
GOOD FEED RECYCLERS
Steppe zebras primarily feed on grass; only occasionally they consume foliage and eat shrubs. Zebras lack the enzyme cellulase, which is necessary to break down cellulose. Therefore, like all ruminants, their bodies contain microorganisms that perform this function. They, like other equines, are located in the cecum (in ruminants - in the stomach). Since zebras digest food well, if necessary they can make do with rougher food.
CLOSE COHESION
As social animals, steppe zebras share their habitat with many grass- and leaf-eating animals. Other species benefit from the vigilance, good vision, hearing and sense of smell of zebras.
In most cases, zebras live in family groups of several adult females and young (5-20 animals), led by a stallion. During movements, the oldest mare often leads the herd, followed by the rest of the animals, and the stallion forms the rear guard. The availability of food determines whether zebras will undertake long-distance movements or remain faithful to their habitat. As long as there is enough food, they stay in one area. In the Serengeti, where food is limited during periods of drought, small groups of steppe zebras gather in large herds in search of food. Animals always strive for close physical contact in a group; they groom and bite each other. Mares in particular spend a lot of time nearby; They also have a subordination: those of higher rank are the first to approach the water source.
HAREMS AND GROUPS OF BACKGROUND
Steppe zebras are not territorial animals; The patrol areas of one family group, each of which, depending on the availability of food, can be 30-600 km2, overlap with the areas of neighbors. Young stallions at the age of four begin to compete over mares and try to acquire their own harem. At the same time, they engage in fierce fights, kicking and biting their opponents. If a stallion captures a harem, his position remains unchallenged, and competitors rarely challenge him. Stallions over four years of age who were unable to capture a harem converge into groups of bachelors. At the onset of puberty at the age of 2-4 years, young mares leave the herd where they were born and join a neighboring herd or several young stallions. For mares, life in a harem has the advantage that, thanks to the vigilance of the leader, they can spend more time searching for food, they have a protector and are protected from the harassment of other stallions. If a mare is not happy with her stallion, she can leave the group and join another.
After a twelve-month pregnancy, the female gives birth to a foal in December-January, which can immediately rise and follow its mother. He soon begins to graze, although he additionally suckles from his mother for about a year. Although foals are guarded and protected, the mortality rate among them is very high (about 50%).
THEY ARE FOLLOWING THE RAIN
In search of food and sources of water, steppe zebras embark on long journeys. During the rainy season, the animals stay on the plain at the foot of the Ngorongoro crater. In June, zebras move to the northwest, where there is more rainfall. In July they move further towards Massai Mara (national park in Kenya), where it rains even during the dry season.
Mountain zebras - lovers of rocky terrain
Mountain zebras (Equuszebra) are adapted to life in mountainous grassy areas. They have better muscle development than their relatives in the valley, and narrower hooves. Mountain zebras today can only be found in southwest Africa. There are two subspecies: the Hartmann's zebra (Equuszebra hartmanni), which lives in dry areas, and the Cape mountain zebra (Equus zebra zebra), which is widespread in the mountains of the Eastern and Western Cape, although the population has never been large.
Zebras are a small group of animals from the order Perissodactyls. The closest relatives of zebras are wild donkeys and horses, and more distant relatives are rhinoceroses and tapirs. Now there are three species of zebras, the fourth species - the quagga - has been completely exterminated by humans.
Zebras in the savannah.
Being the most primitive representatives of the equine family, zebras combine the characteristics of a donkey and a horse. A zebra is the size of a small horse: height at the withers is 1.2-1.4 m, weight 350 kg. But their legs are not as tall and slender as those of horses, their heads are relatively large and heavy (especially that of the zebra Gravy), their ears are large like those of a donkey, and they have the same donkey tail with a tassel. The voice of zebras is also more like the short cry of a donkey. Zebras have erect manes. The color is contrasting with white and black transverse stripes covering the entire body. Zebras of different species have differences in color. For example, Gravy's zebra has thin and frequent stripes that do not reach the stomach, and create a black belt on the back.
Gravy's zebras (Equus grevyi).
The Burchell's zebra has wide and sparse stripes on its belly that merge into a black belt. Another subspecies of it, the Chapman's zebra, has thin additional brownish stripes in the middle of the white stripes.
Chapman's zebras (Equus burchelli antiquorum).
Despite such a simple geometric pattern, the arrangement of stripes on the body of each animal is strictly individual and is never repeated.
Although both zebras belong to the same species, individual differences in color are very noticeable.
Occasionally in nature there are mutations of zebras with almost uniform coloring.
A natural mutation of the zebra.
All species of zebras live in Africa, of which Burchell's zebra is the most widespread species and is found everywhere in grassy and shrubby savannas. The mountain zebra and Gravy's zebra are found only in southern Africa, with the mountain zebra inhabiting mountain plateaus and the Gravy's zebra preferring desert areas with sparse vegetation. Zebras are herd animals; the number of individuals in a herd can range from 10 to several hundred. Zebras do not have permanent habitats and roam depending on the location of fresh grass. Particularly large-scale migrations are made by Burchell's zebras, which often migrate together with wildebeest. Zebras sometimes form mixed herds with wildebeest and ostriches.
Zebras and wildebeest cross a river together during migration.
Zebras feed only on herbaceous vegetation. They graze around the clock as they have no pronounced daily activity. These animals also need a lot of water and go to water regularly.
Zebras at a watering hole.
Calm and peaceful relationships reign in the herd of zebras. The herd is led by a male who shows increased vigilance and constantly monitors the situation around him. Other members of the herd alternately raise their heads while grazing, without losing sight of the surroundings. To express friendly feelings, zebras have a sign language: they come up to each other and put their heads on the shoulders or rump of their fellow, they also lightly bite each other’s necks to express tenderness. However, during pursuit, zebras do not protect their fellow animals, so an animal that strays from the herd runs the risk of being eaten.
Although zebras breed all year round, the mass appearance of offspring usually coincides with the rainy season. During the rut, males leading herds protect their herds from attacks by lonely stallions.
During the fight, the males rear up and hit each other with their front hooves.
Mating fights are more of a ritual nature and rarely end in serious injuries.
Another favorite technique is to kneel down and bite your opponent’s legs.
Each male's harem contains no more than 10-15 females. Pregnancy lasts 13 months.
Pregnant zebra.
Zebras give birth to only one, but very large and developed cub.
A newborn zebra cub tries to get to its feet.
Within 10 minutes after birth, the foal is on its feet, after 20 it is able to walk, and after 40 it is jumping around its mother.
Bohme's zebra, or Grant's zebra (Equus burchelli bohme) - one of the subspecies of Burchelli's zebra - feeds a foal.
Despite such mobility, he is not able to maintain the galloping speed of adult animals (zebras gallop at speeds of up to 50 km/h). Therefore, the mass foaling of females attracts a large number of predators who are not averse to taking an easy prey.
In general, zebras, along with wildebeests, constitute the most common prey of lions, hyenas, and wildebeest dogs. Less commonly, they are hunted by leopards and cheetahs. At watering holes and during migrations, zebras often become prey for crocodiles. Zebras can only counteract predators with speed and kicks with their hind legs, which they sometimes use to fight off their pursuers. If the predator acts alone, this sometimes works, but in a group attack the zebras are doomed.
A zebra fights off a lioness with its hooves.
People have also always hunted zebras. But, if the local tribes could not undermine the number of countless herds with isolated forays, then the European colonists staged a real massacre with the help of firearms. A striking proof is the fate of one of the zebra species - the quagga - which was completely exterminated (the original population of the species was estimated at several million heads!).
The quagga (Equus quagga) was only half striped.
The mountain zebra population is still at a critical level. In captivity, zebras are perfectly tamed and even produce hybrids with horses and donkeys.
to the zebra's stubborn struggle for life.
In riddles this animal is called “a horse in a sailor suit.” Even the smallest children who have ever been to a zoo where a zebra lives know the answer. She looks quite friendly, but you shouldn't try to pet her: her temper is quite wild, and her teeth are strong. Obviously, a zoo is not the natural habitat of this interesting animal. How and where does a zebra live? What does she eat? What are the different features? Read the answers to these and other questions.
Sunny tiger horse
Once, the historian Cassius Dio in his famous “Roman History” mentioned the following: at that time he ordered the capture of certain solar horses for the circus, which were covered with stripes, like tigers. The annals of history also indicate that later the son of Septimius killed one of the horses during battles in the arena. The unknown animal was called the “hippotiger.”
Today it is completely clear what kind of tiger was meant. The prefix "hippo" means "horse". The ancient Romans noted the similarities well: the zebra really belongs to the equine family. True, upon closer inspection, she looks more like a donkey - long ears, a stiff protruding mane, massive legs. There is a harsh climate and many predators, so such features help her survive: the length of her ears indicates sensitive hearing, the mane will not interfere when running, and her strong legs will quickly cover kilometers.
Habitat
The range where zebras are found is quite wide and depends on the particular species of animal. There are desert, mountain and lowland zebras. The former live in dry savannas (Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya), the latter can be found in Namibia and South Africa. Plains prefer the savannas of Sudan, Ethiopia and East Africa.
The soil in the savannah is poor in nutrients, so the main vegetation is low-growing trees, shrubs and grass, which make up the animals’ diet. Between the rainy seasons, the ground dries out, so striped horses need to constantly be near a watering hole. During the day they can cover considerable distances, up to 50 km, but they always return to their native place. If there is no water nearby, the zebra will dig a hole-well with its hooves. A subtle sense of smell helps determine the exact location.
It's more fun together
Regardless of where a zebra lives and what species it belongs to, it is a herd animal. There are about 10-15 animals in a group; they gather in large herds before a long journey. The leader is a male, the rest are females and cubs. The composition is constant, you can recognize each other by the drawing. Responsibilities in the group are clearly distributed. So, animals go to watering in a certain order: first the most experienced female, then the foals according to seniority. At the end is the male. There are also “guards”: when the herd is sleeping, two zebras remain on their feet in order to warn about the threat in time. Newborn babies are very independent: they begin to walk almost immediately after birth. But they know for sure that it is not safe to lose sight of their mother.
Zebras are “friends” with giraffes, ostriches, and gazelles. Together it is easier to resist the predator, in addition, giraffes can notice the enemy from afar.
Black or white?
The black and white striped color is the most striking feature of the animal. Interesting fact: a zebra's stripes are like human fingerprints: you won't be able to find two completely identical patterns.
Due to the unusual coloring, there was even a dispute in the scientific world at the end of the 19th century: some believed that the zebra was black and covered with white stripes, others stated that the animal was light-colored with black stripes. Walter Johnson, a British naturalist, expressed a reasonable opinion on this matter. He suggested: since the ancient ancestor of the zebra was a horse, and all ancient horses were dark in color (white spots appeared and stretched out during evolution), then the zebra should be considered black with white stripes. Later this idea was quoted by more than one author.
What are the stripes for? The answer will be suggested by the subequator zone where the zebra lives - the savannah. There are practically no bushes and trees, and it is very difficult to hide. In such conditions, the zebra's color is an excellent camouflage. They blend effortlessly into the long, striped grass. Insects (for example, react well to solid color, but do not notice heterogeneous ones. Zebras in a herd merge into one huge black and white spot, this can disorient the predator.
On the brink of extinction
Unfortunately, the beautiful color of the animal became fatal for him. An amazing species - the quagga - was exterminated at the end of the 19th century. The tough skin of these equids has made them a prime target for hunters.
The number of Grevy's zebras is rapidly declining. Their unusual skins decorate their homes, the number of watering holes decreases, pastures grow, while Grevy prefers to eat tough grass. Animal defenders in Kenya are taking effective measures to preserve the species: transporting them from dry areas to nature reserves. Places where zebras live today: Amboseli Park in Kenya, Chester Zoo (England), Saisambu Nature Reserve (Nakuru). In the international Red Book, Grevy is placed in the endangered category, but there is hope that the amazing species will survive.
Zebra (Equus sp.)
Zebras are a type of wild horse. All zebras have the same type of coloring - black and white stripes, but they depend on where they live: northern zebras have black and long stripes, southern zebras have brown and short stripes.
For a long time, biologists could not understand why zebras need stripes. Until recently, there was an assumption that this was a disguise. In the flowing air of the African savannah, zebras blend into the landscape and become invisible to predators, especially lions. Then everyone finally came to the conclusion that the stripes are a camouflage not from predators, but from the tsetse fly. These small winged monsters carry a fatal animal disease that causes fever and loss of strength. Thanks to their stripes, zebras become less noticeable to these terrible flies and avoid their bites.
Zebras are classified as odd-toed ungulates because their body weight rests primarily on one third toe. The zebra's toes are protected by strong hooves.
The height at the withers of an adult zebra can reach from 1.2 to 1.4 m. Weight from 175 to 450 kg, tail length more than 50 cm. Each zebra has its own unique pattern on the skin, so any of them can be recognized even among hundreds of others. The skin of a zebra is very smooth, making the stripes appear painted on. The zebra's mane is hard and short, and is completely unlike a horse's, although these animals belong to the same family. Zebras are very curious, and this weakness often puts them in danger.
In the spring, after a 12-month pregnancy, a female zebra gives birth to one foal. Already 1 hour after birth he begins to walk. For the first few weeks, the foal feeds only on its mother's milk. The cubs spend the entire first year of life not only under the supervision of the mother, but also under the protection of the dominant male. The baby grows quickly, at the age of 2 he leaves his mother and begins to live in a herd.
Zebras have the best developed sense of smell, which allows them to sense danger in advance. But due to their rather weak vision, they cannot notice predators in time.
Zebras live in herds. There are 5-6 mares and their foals under the leadership of one male. The male fiercely guards his herd. The herd numbers 50-60 individuals, and sometimes hundreds. Zebras recognize their relatives and neighbors from other families by their voice, smell and stripe pattern. Black and white stripes play the role of a kind of “bar code” - a kind of identification card. In addition, such camouflage coloring makes the animal invisible in the savannah and confuses predators.
The zebra is a glutton, it eats huge amounts of grass, leaves and bark. To “wash down” this dry food, the animal needs to get at least 8-10 liters of water per day. During a drought, this is not easy to do, especially since a predator may be waiting near a dry reservoir. In case of danger, the male sire does not hesitate to stand up for the foal in danger. At the same time, the head of the family kicks and kicks so that the predator can retreat.
Very often, a herd of zebras merges with herds of other animals, such as ostriches or wildebeest. This can be explained by the fact that animals, staying together, feel safer. For example, zebras and antelopes have an excellent sense of smell, and ostriches have good eyesight and long necks. Therefore, in the event of impending danger, these animals have a better chance of detecting the enemy in a timely manner and staying alive. Zebras sometimes live up to 28 years.
The most terrible enemy of zebras is the lion, which hunts them for their tasty meat. But in order to catch up with a zebra, which runs at a speed of 60-65 km/h, the lion has to spend all its strength. The caught victim tries to defend itself by kicking the enemy with both front and rear hooves.
Characteristic of horses, strong legs with strong hooves allow zebras to travel hundreds of kilometers in search of fresh pastures and reach speeds of 60 km/h over short distances. Their hooves are also powerful weapons in fights with predators and rivals.
Zebras are wild and vicious, they mercilessly bite and kick their enemies. No matter how much you tame them, it is very difficult to ride a striped horse.
Scientists have concluded that all modern horses were zebras in the past, but during the process of evolution they lost their black and white stripes.
Savannah zebra with baby |
Savannah or Burchelli zebra (Equus burchelli)
| Magnitude | Body length up to 2.45 m, tail - 50 cm; height at withers reaches 1.4 m; weight up to 355 kg (stallion) and 335 kg (mare) |
| Signs | Looks like a horse; the coat is whitish with black stripes; lighter "shadow stripes" are often visible between the black stripes; a short mane stretches from forehead to withers |
| Nutrition | Grass, sometimes leaves and bark; During the day, certain times are reserved for grazing, watering and resting. |
| Reproduction | Pregnancy for about 1 year; mares foal at different times depending on the region (in East Africa from October to March); 1 foal that can run almost immediately after birth |
| Habitats | Steppes and savannas with sparse trees; Eastern and Southern Africa |