Grant's Zebra
SWAHILI NAME: Punda Milia
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
Zebras are odd-toed ungulates. They have excellent eyesight, a keen sense of smell and are able to run at high speeds. In many ways, zebras are closer to asses than horses, having long ears, short stiff manes, tufted tails, and "chestnuts" confined to the front legs.
As a whole, Grant's zebras are vertically striped in front, horizontally on the back legs, and diagonally on the rump and hind flanks. This causes a V-shaped junction pattern about the middle of the sides. Their color pattern renders them extremely conspicuous against green backgrounds, but almost invisible in tall grass, and very hard to make out on open dry plains because of the breakup of their outline by the complex striping.
There is an extra layer of fat which occurs only under the black stripes which may get up to 18 degrees (10 degrees celesius) hotter than the white ones.
They average 53 inches in height and weigh between 500 and 700 pounds. It is distinguished from other Plains zebras by the presence of leg striping down to the hooves and broad stripes on a white background. One outstanding feature of zebras is that, whatever the environment and even under extremely poor conditions, they all look sleek, fat, and contented. They are resistant to diseases that affect cattle.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
Zebras are odd-toed ungulates. They have excellent eyesight, a keen sense of smell and are able to run at high speeds. In many ways, zebras are closer to asses than horses, having long ears, short stiff manes, tufted tails, and "chestnuts" confined to the front legs.
As a whole, Grant's zebras are vertically striped in front, horizontally on the back legs, and diagonally on the rump and hind flanks. This causes a V-shaped junction pattern about the middle of the sides. Their color pattern renders them extremely conspicuous against green backgrounds, but almost invisible in tall grass, and very hard to make out on open dry plains because of the breakup of their outline by the complex striping.
There is an extra layer of fat which occurs only under the black stripes which may get up to 18 degrees (10 degrees celesius) hotter than the white ones.
They average 53 inches in height and weigh between 500 and 700 pounds. It is distinguished from other Plains zebras by the presence of leg striping down to the hooves and broad stripes on a white background. One outstanding feature of zebras is that, whatever the environment and even under extremely poor conditions, they all look sleek, fat, and contented. They are resistant to diseases that affect cattle.
DISTRIBUTION and HABITAT:
Grant's zebra is one of several sub-species of Plains zebras.
Grant's zebras are numerous throughout a very wide area in Africa south of the Sahara. They inhabit savannahs, plains, and in some cases mountainous regions.
Grant's zebras are numerous throughout a very wide area in Africa south of the Sahara. They inhabit savannahs, plains, and in some cases mountainous regions.
BEHAVIOR:
Zebras are typically horse like grazers and go about in large herds mingling with other game. They are shy and nervous but they are also rather pugnacious and have been known to defend themselves with considerable vigor, kicking both backwards with the hind feet and forwards with the front, and biting savagely.
Zebras are generally gregarious. Herds are made up of family groups of one male and one to six females and their young. The young males leave the group in their second year to form bachelor groups and later collect their mates from existing groups or when an adult male is growing feeble. Even where there are large numbers of zebras forming an apparently uniform herd across the plain it is, in fact, made up of family groups, each retaining its separate identity, with the bachelor groups also remaining distinct.
Zebras sleep in turns, so that some members of herd are always awake. The leader of the herd uses a neigh to signal all is safe. When a zebra is calm his ears are erect. If the ears are straining forward he is afraid, and if the ears are pulled back he is angry.
Zebras are generally gregarious. Herds are made up of family groups of one male and one to six females and their young. The young males leave the group in their second year to form bachelor groups and later collect their mates from existing groups or when an adult male is growing feeble. Even where there are large numbers of zebras forming an apparently uniform herd across the plain it is, in fact, made up of family groups, each retaining its separate identity, with the bachelor groups also remaining distinct.
Zebras sleep in turns, so that some members of herd are always awake. The leader of the herd uses a neigh to signal all is safe. When a zebra is calm his ears are erect. If the ears are straining forward he is afraid, and if the ears are pulled back he is angry.
DIET:
In the wild, zebras graze on savannah grasses, including course grasses that are not palatable to other hoofed herds that they are commonly found with. In the Zoo they are fed zoo ration, grass hay, trace mineral, salt, water-free choice.
REPRODUCTION and GROWTH:
Zebra mares first breed at three years of age and are slow breeders. Gestation can last as long as a year. A foal is remarkably developed at birth, and the newborn will, after some initial falls and clumsiness, move with the herd within an hour, at most. Mothers and their youngsters remain inseparable during the first seven months of nursing.
Newborn animals are short in the neck, long in the legs, and have long, furry hair. Their coloration is basically brown and white, the brown gradually changing to black when they are weaned. The life span may be as much as 28 yrs.
STATUS: The Plains Zebras are not an endangered or threatened species; however the Grevy and Mountain Zebras are very endangered because of loss of habitat and over hunting.
Posts
Post a Comment