The Life of Zebras

Members of the Equus genus along with horses and donkeys—the only living members of the family Equidae—zebras are known for their unique patterns of stripes, which have evolved as camouflage against color blind predators, while additional research suggest that biting flies dislike the stripes of zebras, which may explain why other large animals of eastern and southern Africa appear to be entirely overrun by flies, while their shiny coats help to reflect upwards of 70% of the continent’s intense solar radiation.

Wide Range of Habitats

Found in a variety of habitats, including savannas, woodlands, shrublands and grasslands, zebras comprise three living species, including Grevy’s, Plains and Mountain zebras. Subsisting on lower-quality vegetation that other grazing animals can’t tolerate, a zebras near constant ingestion of tough plant matter takes a heavy toll on their teeth, at the same time possessing a unique twist in their evolution that allows their teeth to continue to grow over the full course of their lifespan. Zebras also see in color and have an acute sense of smell—particularly to smoke—while they communicate with each other through facial expressions, posture and the use of their ears and tales, along with one of the most unique animal calls in all of Africa.

Communal Herding

Known to herd with other species of grazing animals, such as antelope and wildebeest, zoologists have conjectured that their interspecies grazing habit lends all communal grazers an added layer of protection from carnivorous predators. Known for their complex and well-defined social behavior, plains and mountain zebras form harems of one dominant male and up to six females, while male Grevy’s zebras establish territories which attract promiscuous females in estrous.

Harems and Bachelor Herds

Within the two harem species, younger males without harems form bachelor herds, where they fight one another for females, even stealing females from others or forcing mares impregnated by others to miscarry—a cruel behavior that insures that only the strongest genes survive to perpetuate the species. Once a dominant male has established a harem, he allows the dominant female to lead the herd according to rank in female zebras own hierarchy of dominance, while the male walks last in search of predatory attacks from the herd’s rear flank, making zebras, a colorful native to the wilds of Africa.