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Zebra

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Mammals

                  iZebras
         Scientific classification

   Kingdom:  Animalia
   Phylum:   Chordata
   Class:    Mammalia
   Order:    Perissodactyla
   Family:   Equidae
   Genus:    Equus
   Subgenus: Hippotigris

                                   Species

   Equus zebra
   Equus hartmannae
   Equus quagga
   Equus grevyi

   The Zebra is a part of the horse family, Equidae, native to central and
   southern Africa. They are most well known for their distinctive black
   and white stripes.

Stripes

   They are white with black stripes. These stripes are typically vertical
   on the head, neck, forequarters, and main body, with horizontal stripes
   at the rear and on the legs of the animal. The zebra crossing is named
   after the zebra's white on black stripes.

   Zoologists believe that the stripes act as a camouflage mechanism. This
   is accomplished in several ways. First, the vertical striping helps the
   zebra hide in grass. At first glance, this may seem absurd considering
   that grass is neither white nor black, but it makes sense because the
   zebra's main predator, the lion, is colour blind. A zebra standing
   still in tall grass may not be noticed at all by a lion. However,
   zebras are herd animals and do not usually travel alone, so the second
   way the stripes help in camouflage is by confusing the lion — a number
   of zebras standing or moving close together may appear as one large
   animal, making it more difficult for the lion to pick out any single
   zebra to attack.

   Stripes are also believed to play a role in social interactions, with
   slight variations of the pattern allowing the animals to distinguish
   between individuals.

   A more recent theory, supported by experiment, posits that the
   disruptive coloration is also an effective means of confusing the
   visual system of the blood-sucking tsetse fly. Alternative theories
   include that the stripes coincide with fat patterning beneath the skin,
   serving as a thermoregulatory mechanism for the zebra, and that wounds
   sustained disrupt the striping pattern to clearly indicate the fitness
   of the animal to potential mates.

Species

   There are four extant species, as well as several subspecies. Zebra
   populations vary a great deal, and the relationships between and the
   taxonomic status of several of the subspecies are well known.

   The Plains Zebra (Equus quagga, formerly Equus burchelli) is the most
   common, and has or had about twelve subspecies distributed across much
   of southern and eastern Africa. It, or particular subspecies of it,
   have also been known as the Common Zebra, the Dauw, Burchell's Zebra
   (actually the subspecies Equus quagga burchelli), and the Quagga
   (another extinct subspecies, Equus quagga quagga).

   The Mountain Zebra (Equus zebra) of southwest Africa tends to have a
   sleek coat with a white belly and narrower stripes than the Plains
   Zebra. It has two subspecies and is classified as endangered.

   Grevy's Zebra (Equus grevyi) is the largest type, with an erect mane,
   and a long, narrow head making it appear rather mule-like. It is an
   inhabitant of the semi-arid grasslands of Ethiopia, Somalia, and
   northern Kenya. The Grevy's Zebra is one of the rarest species of zebra
   around today, and is classified as endangered.

   Although zebra species may have overlapping ranges, they do not
   interbreed. This held true even when the Quagga and Burchell's race of
   Plains Zebra shared the same area. According to Dorcas McClintock in "A
   Natural History Of Zebras," Grevy's zebra has 46 chromosomes; plains
   zebras have 44 chromosomes and mountain zebras have 32 chromosomes. In
   captivity, Plains Zebras have been crossed with mountain zebras. The
   hybrid foals lacked a dewlap and resembled the Plains Zebra apart from
   their larger ears and their hindquarters pattern. Attempts to breed a
   Grevy's zebra stallion to Mountain Zebra mares resulted in a high rate
   of abortion.

Zebra classification

   Zebra, Botswana
   Enlarge
   Zebra, Botswana
     * Plains Zebra, Equus quagga
          + Quagga, Equus quagga quagga (extinct)
          + Burchell's Zebra, Equus quagga burchellii
          + Grant's Zebra, Equus quagga boehmi
          + Selous' zebra, Equus quagga borensis
          + Chapman's Zebra, Equus quagga chapmani
          + Crawshay's Zebra, Equus quagga crawshayi
     * Cape Mountain Zebra, Equus zebra
     * Hartmann's Mountain Zebra, Equus hartmannae
     * Grevy's Zebra, Equus grevyi

   For the remaining species of the genus and family see Equidae.

Uses

   Zebras drinking water in the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo
   Enlarge
   Zebras drinking water in the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo

   Attempts have been made to train zebras for both riding and draft use,
   both for novelty value and due to their better resistance than horses
   to diseases in Africa. Although easily broken for both uses, they are
   highly strung and zebra-mules or zebroids (crosses between any species
   of zebra and a horse, pony, donkey or ass) are preferred over pure-bred
   zebras.

   In England, Lord Rothschild frequently used zebras for drawing
   carriages. In 1907, Rosendo Ribeiro, the first doctor in Nairobi,
   Kenya, used a riding zebra for doing house-calls. Captain Horace Hayes,
   in "Points of the Horse" (circa 1899) compared the use of different
   zebra species.

   Hayes saddled and bridled a Mountain Zebra in less than one hour, but
   was unable to give it a "mouth" during the two days it was in his
   possession. He noted that the zebra's neck was so stiff and strong that
   he was unable to bend it in any direction. Although he taught it to do
   what he wanted in a circus ring, when he took it outdoors he was unable
   to control it. He found the Burchell's Zebra easy to break in and
   considered it ideal for domestication as it was also immune to the
   tsetse fly bite. He considered the quagga well-suited to domestication
   due to being stronger, more docile and more horse-like than other
   zebras.
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zebra"
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   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
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