

No one is completely sure why they have stripes The the grevy’s zebra has the thinnest stripes, while the moutain zebra has vertical stripes on its neck and torso. Studies have shown that the further south on the African plains you travel, the farther apart the stripes of zebras are.Įach species of zebra has different types of stripes, too. Zebra’s stripes are further apart the further south in Africa Scientists have even developed a way to read their stripes like bar codes to be able to identify specific zebras in a heard.

Zebras are iconic for their stripes, which are actually unique to each individual, like a human’s fingerprint. Zebras can be found in numerous protected areas and parks, which are aiming to help halt the decline, offer access to water, and increase their chances of survival. Their decline is down to loss of habitat, illegal poaching, disease, and civil wars have also caused a drop in zebra populations. 2,250 individuals, while the mountain zebra is vulnerable, and the plains zebra is near threatened. They are the favourite prey of lions, but are also hunted by leopards, cheetahs, spotted hyenas, brown hyenas, and Nile crocodiles.Īccording to the IUCN’s conservation status, the Grevy’s Zebra is endangered with approx. They are well evolved for this with strong front teeth to pull up the grass and large molars in the back of their mouths for grinding. They are grazers, feeding mainly on grasses. Favoured habitats include grasslands, woodlands, savannahs, and mountainous areas. Zebras are native to the continent of Africa, specifically eastern and southern parts such as Kenya and Botswana. Grevy’s zebra: endangered, mountain zebra: vulnerable, plains zebra: near-threatened. Lions, cheetahs, leopards, spotted hyenas, brown hyenas and Nile crocodiles. Grasslands, woodlands, savannahs, and mountainous areas.ġ10 – 160cm at the shoulder, and 7-10ft in body length There are three living species of Zebra: the plains zebra (Equus quagga), the grevy’s zebra (Equus grevyi), and the mountain zebra (Equus zebra).

They are members of the group Equus, which contains horses and asses. Zebras (subgenus Hippotigris) are well-known for their distinctive stripes.
