The Fascinating World of Zebras: A Wildlife Marvel
### The Fascinating World of Zebras: A Wildlife Marvel
Perhaps the most iconic of animals of the African wilderness are zebras. Both of their striking black and white striped coats instantly makes them recognizable and their social and adaptive behaviors attract lovers of such animals all over the world. We are going to learn about the interesting features of zebra lives and habits.
#### Physical Characteristics
- **Speed**: After all, zebras are surprisingly fast runners, up to 65 km/h (40 mph). Because they’re so agile, it helps them to get away from predators like lions and hyenas.
- **Length**: The species vary in length and are typically 2 to 2.6 meters (6.5 to 8.5 feet) from head to tail.
- **Height**: Zebra shoulder height is about 1.2 to 1.5 meters (4 to 5 feet) high at the shoulder.
- **Weight**: An adult zebra weighs from 200 to 450 kilograms (440 to 990 pounds), and is typically heavier in males than in females.
#### Habitat and Distribution
Zebra lives mostly in grassland, savannah and mountain areas in Africa. There are three main species of zebras:
1. **Plains Zebra** (Equus quagga): The most common species, occurring in eastern and southern Africa.
2. **Mountain Zebra** (Equus zebra): It is found in southwestern Africa; prefers rugged terrains.
3. **Grevy's Zebra** (Equus grevyi): It is the largest and most endangered zebra of which there is a known occurrence, found in semi-arid regions of Kenya and Ethiopia.
Elsewhere, there are striking similarities in daily activities and social behaviour between captive hominids and their fossil ancestors.
Zebra are a very social animals that live together in a bunch called a harem. The term harem usually refers to a typical one dominant male, several females and their offspring. They exhibit the following daily routines:
- **Grazing**: Most of a zebras day is spent grazing or browsing on grasses. Non-ruminant herbivores, they must be fed continuously, and do not digest food slowly.
- **Communication**: All of which they communicate, including barks, brays, snorts, and body language.
- **Movement**: In fact the zebras travel in groups to find fresh pasturage and water, even with other herbivores like wildebeests.
#### Diet
Usually zebras eat grasses but they will also eat shrubs, leaves and bark when grass is in short supply. They have strong teeth and because of that a large digestive system to feed on coarse vegetation.
#### Birth and Life Cycle
Gestation lasts about 12 to 14 months and, females give birth to a single foal. The stripes are brown and white with an aging to black when foals mature. A foal stands and walks within minutes of birth, and soon after is available for the herd.
Wild zebra live about 20 to 25 years in general, but they can live longer in captivity. Survival rates for these birds are highly dependent on predators, and environmental factors such as drought.
#### Threats and Conservation
Habitat loss, human wildlife conflict and poaching are the threats to zebras. The Plains Zebra is less threatened than the Mountain Zebra or the vulnerable Grevy's Zebra, but is listed as such by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Habitat protection, anti poaching efforts and breeding programs are among efforts.
### Conclusion
But Zebras isn’t just striking to see, they also play a significant part in their ecosystem. Important members of the food chain, as well as important for maintaining the health of grasslands. They need to be understood and protected, so that the delicate ecosystems they dwell upon can sustain themselves appropriately.