The zebra is perhaps the most visually dazzling member of the family Equidae, a group that includes horses, asses, zebras, and multiple other species. Zebras are famous for their black and white stripes. While some may think the stripes are a camouflage against predators, they actually repel flies! And these stripes–are zebras white with black stripes, or vice versa? The truth is, zebras have black skin, so the stripes that overlay their skin are white. Read on to learn more about the amazing zebra.
Types of Zebras
There are three species of zebras native to various parts of Africa listed below:
- Grévy’s Zebra – Grévy’s zebra (Equus grevyi) is the largest species of zebra. it’s named after Jules Grévy but is also called the imperial zebra. Classified as endangered, it inhabits semi-arid grasslands and scrub in parts of Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia.
- Mountain Zebra – The mountain zebra (Equus zebra) prefers mountainous, woodland, or grassland habitats. There are two sub-species of mountain zebra–the Cape mountain zebra (South Africa) and Hartmann’s mountain zebra (southwestern Angola and Namibia). It’s listed as Vulnerable.
- Plains Zebra – The plains zebra (Equus quagga) is the most common group of zebras, native to East and South Africa, preferring open grasslands and savannah woodlands. It’s listed as Near Threatened. Burchell’s zebra (Equus quagga burchellii) is a subspecies of the plains zebra, named for the British explorer and naturalist William John Burchell and found in southern areas.
