A Member Of The Prairie
Zebras are an African specialty, with stout stripes, and their busy lives are searching for the best pastures in the world on the African savannah. Zebras evolved from primitive horses four million years ago, and the earliest zebras may have been Grevy's zebras.
What do the stripes on a zebra do?
1. Adapt to the environment and protect yourself.
In open grasslands and deserts, the zebra's black and white stripes reflect different light in sunlight or moonlight, acting to blur or distract the contours of its body, keeping enemies away.
In this way, the zebra can reduce the chance of being discovered by the enemy, so as to achieve the purpose of protecting itself.
2. Identification among the same kind.
Different species of zebra have different markings, some are thick and sparse, and some are thin and uniform. These patterns are actually zebra logos, and they identify their species through their markings.
The habits of zebras.
Herd animals.
They forage together and even groom each other's fur. But the group is usually small, at most about 10, mostly female animals and male and female cubs that have not reached sexual maturity.
Cry.
When foraging, group members take turns serving as guard duties. When there is danger, a long hissing warning signal will sound. The zebra stopped eating immediately and ran away quickly.
Food.
Zebras are herbivores. The main food is grass, and sometimes young leaves are also eaten, and it has a strong digestive system.
Natural enemy.
Their natural enemies are lions, leopards, wild dogs, hyenas, etc. They usually hunt by ambush.
Habitat.
Live in dry, open, dense grasslands and desert areas. Mountain zebras like to live in the rolling hills; common zebras inhabit plain grasslands.
Reproduction of zebras.
Zebras reproduce by viviparity, giving birth to a litter every three years, with one litter at a time, and the lactation period is about 6 months.
Due to human factors such as hunting and habitat destruction, zebra populations are greatly affected.