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Common, or Burchell's, zebra - EQUUS BURCHELLI
Class: Animals with Milk Glands (Mammalia)
The Name "Zebra": "Zebra" is an old Spanish word meaning "wild ass."
Location: Eastern Africa.
Habitat: Terrestrial. Savanna and open forests.
Description: The black-and-white striped coat is unmistakable, yet it shows great variation among the five different subspecies; and like fingerprints, even vary from animal to animal. No two zebras look exactly alike. The zebra is actually a white animal with black stripes, although the background may be more cream-colored in some cases. The mane is short and erect, and the tail has a long black or whitish tuft for chasing insects. The zebra grows to a head and body length of about 7 feet, and may grow to five feet tall at the shoulders. Males weigh between 600 to 800 pounds, with female slightly less.
Behavior: This is an adaptable animal which can fully utilize the scarce food resources in its semiarid environment. It grazes on short grass, and eats leaves and shoots. Unlike the wild horse, the zebra is always found near a water supply - its Achilles heel when it comes to avoiding lions. Zebras in very large herds numbering several hundred individuals, especially during the dry season, and will often associate with other animals such as wildebeests, antelope, and other species of zebras. They are fast runners and when fleeing predators will remain in a close-knit group. Its main enemies are lions, hyenas, cheetahs, and wild dogs. One kick from a zebra, however, can break a lions jaw, bringing certain death to the lion. All attempts to domesticate the zebra have failed.
Reproduction: Gestation lasts about a year, after which a single foal is born. Its life expectancy is 25 to 30 years, barring an unforeseen meeting with the king of the jungle.
Go to the Odd-toed Ungulates Page to learn more about this small order of animals.
Go to the Wild Horse, or the Onager to see the only other horse-like animals listed in America Zoo.
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