Plains Zebra
By: Brian,Dillon,
Sandra, and
Audrey
Classification
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Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Perissodactyla
Family: Equidae
Binomial name: Equus quagga meaning Horse
of Southern Africa
Body
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Weighs up to 770 lbs.
3.6 ft - 4.8 ft at the shoulder
Head-Body length:217-246cm.
They only have a single toe on each foot
Habitat
● They live in open grasslands
● Inhabiting Eastern and
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Southern Africa
In savanna woodlands
Also live in plains
Zebras can be found at
elevations up to 4,300 m.
Diet
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Graze on grass in grasslands
Consume many types of vegetation
They eat long and short grass
Example of other vegetation:
apples and carrots
● Sometimes eat trees and shrubs
Trivia
● Migrates up to 1,800 miles for
food
● Coats dissipate 70% of heat
● Native to over 15 African
countries
● Stripes are horizontal on
hindquarters
● Stripes are vertical on body
AM
Adaptations: Senses
has excellent eyesight
can see in color
eyes: on the side of their head
have great hearing
have large, round ears: allow them to
turn ears in many directions
● have a sharp sense of smell and taste
● a zebra’s stripes are a huge help to
survival in the wild
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Getting Food
● grazing animals
● eat grass and other plants in their
habitat
● are herbivores.
At the zoo, they are fed
carrots and apples.
AM
AM
Protection
● when a predator attacks: herd circles enemy to
scare it off
● always on the watch for predators
● young zebra stay near moms for protection
Zebra moms
would do
anything to
protect their
young
Behavior
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AM
are social animals
graze in herds
groom each other
travel in herds
always alert
A Zebra’s Stripes
● stripes are unique to each
separate zebra
● people think stripes are some
form of camouflage
● pattern makes it hard to keep
your eye on one specific zebra
while they are running in a herd
● stripes are their identifying symbol
AM
Litter Size
● 1 zebra per litter
● Raised 12 months
● Cycle starts again, female becomes impregnated
● 50% juvenile mortality
Gestation
● 12 months
● Zebra impregnated directly after birth
● Foul born with brown and white stripes
Parental care
● Zebra foul kept away from others until they
identify parent
● Identify by smell
● By voice
● By sight
Offspring
● Female zebra starts mating 3 years
● Males 5-6 years old
● 30 kg.
● Zebra young challenge family head
Male and Female
● Male climbs on female
● If female doesn’t want to mate, walks out
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from under ,or kicks with hind legs
Males 10% larger
Resources
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People are attracted-zebras coat
Zebra’s skin sells well
Hide used for bags and purses
The meat is eaten
Profit from hide and flesh
Zebra Filet
Teriyaki.
SV
Habitat Destruction
● Humans affect in three ways:
● Agricultural practices
● Intrusion of space
● Hunting (not habitat destruction)
● Helps decrease zebra population
SV
Cultural Significance
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Common subject- African folk tales
Story-How zebras got stripes
San folk tale of Namibia
Baboon is featured in story
Very creative stories
SV
Conservation
● Many foundations help these animals
● Example; African Wildlife Foundation
● People help out with corridor (Corridor
Science)
● Right now one of the least threatened animals
SV
Zoo Life
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Graze tough grass, browse leaves 30% diet, etc…
Some males are territorial
Male are territorial-claim prime watering & grazing areas.
Territorial males generally live alone/except during mating
season
SV
Bibliography
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