About zebras

The zebra (Equus burchelli antiquorum) is a quadruped mammal belonging to the family Equidae and the order Perissodactyla. They are herbivorous animals that live in large groups from the center to the southern tip of the African continent, where they are native. It is an animal that, in order to feed itself, needs only grass, a plant abundant in the African savannas.

There are three types of zebras, they are: plain zebra or common zebra, mountain zebra and zebra-de-grevy. Today, five common zebra subspecies are known: Burchell's Zebra (Equus burchelli burchelli), which lives in South Africa, Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe; Zebra-de-Chapman (Equus burchelli chapmani) living in South Africa and Zimbabwe; Zebra-de-damara (Equus burchelli antiquorum) living in Namibia; Zebra-de-selous (Equus burchelli selousi) living in Mozambique and zebra-de-grant (Equus burchelli boehmi) living in Ethiopia, Republic of Congo, Sudan, Uganda and Tanzania.Two subspecies of the mountain zebra are known: Cape zebra (Equus zebra zebra) that inhabits South Africa. And the zebra-de-hartman (Equus zebra hartmannae) that lives in Namibia.

Finally, the third type of zebra, as already mentioned, is the grevy zebra, whose ears are broad and rounded and easily recognizable thanks to its stripes whose distance is smaller between one and the other, or His white belly.

Its weight ranges from 250 to 320 kg, its length can reach 2.4 m, its height is approximately 1.5 m, on average it lives 25 years and, when it runs, can reach up to 70 km / h. This animal is known for its coat with black and white stripes arranged transversely on a light background, which allows them to camouflage well in their natural habitat.

When they run, zebras' camouflage causes a kind of "optical illusion" on their predators, which are: lions, hyenas, and wild dogs.

Within the herds the organization of zebras is made as follows: puppies, a few females and a dominant male, completing a total of approximately 8 members. Normally the females of the group are relatives to each other, aunts or sisters, for example.

Unfortunately, thanks to the action of man, there existed until 1883 at a zoo in Amsterdam the last specimen of a zebra called quagga quagga, which, of course, was extinguished.