Scientific Name: Equus burchelli
Order: Perissodactyla
Family: Equidae
Region: E. & S. Africa
Hits: 3074
Information
Description:
An African wild horse with black-and-white stripes and an erect mane. 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. While seeming absurd at first glance considering that grass is neither white nor black, it is very effective against the zebra's main predator, the lion, which is color blind. A zebra standing still in tall grass may not be noticed at all by a lion and as zebras are herd animals 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.
A herd of zebras scattering to avoid a predator will also represent to that predator a confused mass of vertical stripes travelling in multiple directions making it difficult for the predator to track an individual visually as it separates from its herdmates.
Stripes are also believed to play a role in social interactions, with slight variations of the pattern allowing the animals to distinguish between individuals.
Animals
