Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Perissodactyla

Family: Equidae

Genus: Equus

Species: Equus quagga - plains or common zebra 

Subspecies: The Grévy's zebra, the plains zebra and the mountain zebra

Created: 4 million years ago

Closely Related: Horses and Donkeys

Ancestors: Equus simplicidens,  The European Equus Stenonis and The African Equus Koobiforensis. 

Physical Description: Black fur with white stripes and predominantly white bellies. Their feet are capped with a singular, hard hoof, which packs a punch when kicked at predators.  

Key Characteristics: long, thin legs for ease of movement and quick, efficient escapes from predators. 

Size: 8.9 ft

Weight: 770 – 990 lbs 

Life Span: 25 years 

Males and Females: Males are slightly larger than the females, and they have a narrow black stripe running vertically between their hind legs. In females this stripe is wider. 

Rain:  6 – 8 month wet summer season. 10 – 30 inches 

Plants:  Grasses such as Rhodes grass, red oats grass, star grass, lemon grass, and some shrubs.  

Animals: Wildebeest, warthogs, elephants, zebras, rhinos, gazelles, hyenas, cheetahs, lions, leopards, ostrich, mousebirds, starlings, and weavers. 

Temperature:  68° to 86°F 

Terrain: Rolling grassland scattered with shrubs and isolated trees 

Continent:  East and southern Africa 

Invasive: No

What it eats: Different types of grasses

Frequency: up to 18 hours a day 

Access to food: Very little competition for food grass is everywhere

Living: Zebras are social animals that spend time in herds. 

Role: They increase the overall quality of vegetation in areas where they travel. 

Leader: No set roles within a pack usually just travel together

Individuals in Herd: They live in small family groups consisting of a male (stallion), several females, and their young. 

Interact: Through various nonverbal expressions including sniffing, but also through their ears and tail through positioning. 

Mating Frequency: Once every two years

How Many Mates: one but they usually don't stay together

Time of Year: January to March 

Mating Rituals: Courtship and breeding last two days, with mating repeated every one to two hours. 

Number of Offspring: Zebras give birth to one young, called a foal, every 2-3 years. 

Unique Characteristics: Zebras mate repeatedly every hour to ensure fertilization

Stages of Development: The First Few Weeks. Young zebras will stick close to their mothers for the first few weeks of their life.

Next leaving the Herd. Zebras do not remain in the same herd for life. 

Living Alone. Females 1 1/2 Years  Males up to 3 Years

Sexual Maturity. Male 1 - 2 Years  Female 2 - 3 Years

Fully Mature. 3 - 6 Years

Old Age. Lifespan  25 Years

Predation: Lions, hyenas, wild dogs, and cheetahs are among zebras' natural predators. 

Sexual Competition: Other male Zebras

Disease: Most common diseases are obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease. 

Inter Species: Zebras of different harems are often in competition for the same food source. 

Intra Species: Zebras compete with cattle and other animals for grass and water.

Effect of Invasive Species: Melinis Minutiflora an aggressive grass that rapidly grows actually benefits the zebra supplying a bigger food source.

Listed: Endangered A1a, 2c

 Population: Less than 2,000

Population Trend: Increase of 462 zebras since 2016, from approximately 2,350 to a current population of 2,812. 

What Impacts Occur: Habitat loss due to human encroachment, agricultural practices, and livestock grazing.

Future Impacts: Zebras could lose their habitats and go extinct

Human Interaction: Humans have been interacting with zebras since the early 1800s

How We Help Zebras: We Set aside safe space for wildlife. AWF works with governments and communities to designate wildlife corridors