So still black or white: 10 interesting and amazing facts about zebras

Zebras, due to their original appearance, are one of the most recognizable animals, as well as a symbol of wildlife in Africa. But what kind of zebra really is: black with white stripes or white with black stripes. We will talk about this and much more in our collection of interesting facts about zebras.

Relatives

The closest relatives of zebras are horses, kulans, and donkeys, all of which belong to the horse's family (equine family, equine squad). Due to genetic affinity, zebras can form hybrids with horses (zebroids) and with donkeys (zebrules).

Zebroid - a hybrid of horses and zebras

Zebrul - a hybrid of zebras and a donkey

Not one, but three

In fact, there are three types of zebras: Grevy's zebra (desert zebra), mountain zebra, and burchell's zebra (savannah). All of them differ in growth and nuances of color.

Grevy’s zebra lives only in Kenya and Ethiopia and is a rare endangered species.

This is a mountain zebra found only in the highlands of southern Africa.

Burchellova, or savannah zebra - the most common species of zebras that lives in the African savannahs south of the equator

Black or white

According to scientists, zebras are precisely black in color with white stripes. Black color is the main pigment, and the white areas of the zebra's body are those places where the black pigment is absent. Although a number of experts dispute this point of view and believe that the zebra is actually white.

Why do we need strips?

According to researchers, zebra stripes acquired as a result of evolution. It turned out to be a convenient weapon in the fight against predators. It is difficult for animals with black and white vision, for example, lions, to single out one zebra from the herd and attack. In addition, striped color is a good remedy against tsetse flies and horseflies: light from strips of different colors is reflected and refracted in different ways, which disorients dangerous insects.

Another such does not exist

Despite the apparent similarity, each zebra has a completely unique arrangement of stripes on the skin. Two identical zebras simply do not exist in nature.

Live like horses

Zebras live in herds, just like their closest relatives are horses. At the head of the herd is a male leader, who is accompanied by females with cubs and young zebras.

Whole year

The pregnancy of a female zebra lasts about 370 days. The cub that was born for some time is kept with the mother in isolation from the herd. According to scientists, this is done so that the little zebra better remembers the mother’s smell and does not subsequently get lost among the relatives.

Pink milk

Mothers feed small cubs with unusual pink-colored milk.

Not tameable

Many African tribes tried to tame zebras, but did not succeed. Although there are references to the fact that in ancient Rome zebras were harnessed to circus wagons.

Quagga Project

Back in the 19th century, on the expanses of the African continent, one could meet the quagga zebra, which was destroyed by man. She was distinguished by the fact that her stripes were distributed only in the front of her body. Today, geneticists are trying to resurrect this subspecies of zebras using DNA fragments isolated from the remains of an animal. Certain successes have already been achieved in this direction, and several animals named "Quaggi Rau" have been obtained.