Zebra Habitat

Zebras are perhaps the most distinct member of the horse family, with their black and white stripes and short, sturdy Mohawk mane. There have been numerous attempts to train these animals for domestic purposes since they are sturdier than the domesticated horse. Some attempts have been successful, such as Lord Rothschild's famous zebra-pulled carriages. In general, however, zebras are too nervous and unpredictable to be trained successfully. However, zebras have been bred with other animals, resulting in hybrids such as the zebra-mule or zebroids.

  1. Natural History

    • Zebras are found throughout Africa. They are believed by scientists to have evolved from the earliest horse ancestors over 4 million years ago, just after the asses. All zebras are highly sociable and live in groups. They graze for food, eating mainly shrubs, herbs, twigs, leaves and bark. Zebra females reach sexual maturity at three years, giving birth to one foal every 12 months or so. They nurse their young up to one year of age. Male zebras reach sexual maturity around the age of five or six.

    Grevy's Zebra (Equus grevyi)

    • Out of the three species of zebra, Grevy's lives in the most xeric, or driest, region. They live in the sub-desert region of Northern Kenya and Southern Ethiopia, though most are found in Kenya. The Grevy's zebra is able to eat the tough desert grasses that thrive here, which animals such as cattle cannot.

    Mountain Zebra (Equus zebra)

    • The mountain zebra gets its name from the fact that they spend much of their time in mountains or hilly regions in South and Southwestern Africa. Like the its close cousins, the Burchell's and the Grevy's, the mountain zebra eats a diet mostly composed of grass, although the mountain zebra will include some shoots, leaves and bush fruit in its diet as well.

    Burchell's Zebra (Equus burchelli)

    • The Burchell's zebra, also commonly known as the Plains zebra, lives in a variety of habitats, including savannas, open woodland and scrub, and grasslands. The Burchell's has even been known to inhabit hilly or mountainous regions up to 14,000 feet. The Burchell's is also the most water dependent of the three species, and must remain close to water at all times, which explains its tendency to wander depending on where water can be found. At times tens of thousands of these zebras can be found in migratory herds on the Serengeti plains.

    Considerations

    • Both the Grevy's and mountain zebra species are now threatened due to habitat loss. One Plains zebra species, the quagga, a close relative of the Burchell's, went extinct in the 19th century. These animals must compete with herds of cattle for grasslands in which to graze forcing them into more marginal habitats. In addition, they are often overhunted for their meat and skins.