During this period, they will develop muscle and put on weight. Even though zebras are pretty darn adorable, their temperaments are much more aggressive than a horse. A zebra has an extremely powerful kick that it will use to attack predators.
They will even join together to use this kicking power. A zebra will also kick another zebra to death in a fight for dominance. A zebra is much more likely than a horse to attack anyone or anything that gets close enough to make it feel threatened. Horses evolved in a less aggressive environment. The zebra is native to Africa, where it contends with many large, dangerous predators, making it more alert and aggressive than horses.
The Zebra is a wild animal, and reports of its domestication are few. Like many wild Equids - such as the Tarpan and Przewalski horse - the Zebra was threatened by extinction since it was hunted by man. The Quagga of South Africa is now extinct, having been killed off by settlers in the s.
Different types of Zebras have varied patterns of stripes. The now extinct Quagga had no stripes on its body, but only on its neck and head. Zebras are afraid of being chased, attacked and eaten by predators which you can read about next. Predators like lions, leopards , cheetahs , hyenas , and African wild dogs like to eat zebras. Crocodiles will surprise attack zebras and take them down at river crossings for their dinner. Some humans also hunt and eat zebras.
Unlike wildebeests and gazelles who are picky grazers, zebras are equipped with specialized digestive systems that can process older and poorer quality grass. Once a herd of zebras clears out older forage, it makes way for the better quality stuff to grow. Based on population estimates from the IUCN Red List, this is how many individuals are left for each of the zebra species:. The population numbers for all three species of zebras are decreasing due to habitat loss and livestock grazing.
With all three zebra species combined, the overall population is estimated to be just under , individuals. A group of zebras is referred to as either a herd or dazzle , which is what happens to your mind when you see a herd of these striped creatures bolting through grassland in unison.
Zebra herds can vary between family groups of 5 to 20 members to large congregations of 1, individuals. Many herds consist of a dominant stallion with several mares and their foals. Herds also protect foals by keeping them in the middle when traveling. Zebras need to run fast to avoid becoming dinner for predators like lions, so they can run up to 40 mph 65 kph. And it would be rare to have to actually outrun a zebra. Amazingly, zebra foals can keep up with the herd within just a few hours after birth.
Most of the time, zebras only deliver a single baby per birth. They have been known to have twins, but sadly, only one usually survives. No, if both twins survive they will not have the same stripes. Each foal will have unique stripe patterns. After this, the males will leave and join up with a bachelor herd while the females will remain in the same herd as their mother. Zebra mares mature earlier than stallions and may give birth to their first foals by the time they are three years old. Zebras can live up to 25 years in their natural habitat, depending upon factors like predators and food scarcity.
The offspring of a zebra stallion and a horse mare is called a zorse. If the stallion is a horse, and the mare is a zebra, the offspring is called a hebra. An average lifespan for a horse is 25 to 30 years. If Zack lives to be 27, how many more years will he be alive? Stohler grew up riding horses on a ranch in eastern Oregon. She embarked on a career of training horses and gradually expanded to other, more exotic, species. They have to be able to learn and adapt. She got her first zebra about 10 years ago.
Stohler has two zebras, Zack and Charlie, on her farm in Willis, Texas, as well as a zorse a zebra-horse cross and a zonkey a zebra-donkey cross. She rides Zack frequently, especially on trail rides, and drives Charlie.
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