Plains zebras

These animals belong to the genus of horses and also have a great similarity to the horses that can be seen around here.

Appearance

The special thing about zebras is their coat coloration, which features both black and white stripes. These patterns differ in all Burchell's zebras or plains zebras, depending on their respective habitat, how the coat pattern develops. Here, the color changes, where it is black and white in most zebras, there are breeds whose stripes are more dark reddish-brown. Another characteristic of the animals, which should still be mentioned, are their relatively short legs, which only reach a shoulder height of 140 centimeters.

Habitat

Where is the most widespread habitat of plains zebras or Burchell's zebras? In many parts of Africa you can find the zebra, for example in southern Sudan, in the savannas of East Africa and throughout South and Southwest Africa. The animals move in herds, which provides them with good protection against predators. Here, one zebra in the group always keeps watch for enemies while the others graze. If the animal on watch sees an enemy, it alerts its herd members with a sound so that they can flee quickly. The group size depends primarily on the quality of the habitat; the more food there is for the animals, the larger the herds will be.

Lifestyle

It is also possible for plains zebras to live together with other animals, such as wildebeest, waterbucks and impalas. Since zebras prefer short grass but do not need it to survive, the animals are not only found in the steppes but can also inhabit forests. Often, zebras are the first animals you can encounter in a newly grassed area until the long grass has been grazed and trampled down enough that other animals, such as wildebeest or gazelles, can feed on it. Plains zebras are not a rarity and are frequently found.