Zebra, it is such an interesting animal that resembles an ordinary horse, if you do not take into account its striped color. However, it is believed that zebra is a kind of horse. Zebras have always been African animals, but that doesn't mean that it hasn't stopped them from settling all over the globe. Now this animal can be seen in deserts, savannahs and even mountains. There are very few desert zebras, so they are listed in the Red Book as disappearing species.
Zebras prefer to live in herds, which consist of no more than 10 individuals. Each herd has only one male in it, the rest is made up of females and their calves. Zebras belong to those animals that do not have a permanent residence. They can migrate from place to place for a long time, and all this is due to good living conditions. Zebras like to drink a lot of water, so they always need a water reservoir. If it happens that the water dries up, zebras can dig a very deep hole and wait for it to fill up with water. When a herd of zebras goes in search of a new place, it will always be headed by an adult female. The other zebras follow, and the male closes the chain. It is he who protects and protects his herd from all dangers and enemies.
African zebras have their own peculiarities. Depending on their habitat, zebras will only have their own specific features and habits. Each zebra, even if it belongs to the same species, will differ in its individual pattern. It turns out that there are no two identical zebras in the herd. All zebras prefer to eat only vegetable food. It will always be grass or bark of trees. They also like to eat young twigs very much. Because such food is not very nutritious to satisfy the hunger of this animal has to eat often.
However, zebra is not a normal domestic horse. It is very difficult to tame it more precisely, it is impossible to do so. This animal has a good temperament, she loves freedom and can even bite if she smells something wrong. In general, zebras are very playful animals. They can spend hours in the dust. Thanks to these actions, animals can get rid of parasites stuck to their bodies. A bull woodpecker is considered to be a good zebra companion. He likes to sit on top of the zebra and gradually nibble on insects tangled in the fur of the animal. Zebras are friendly enough, they are not afraid of the presence of other inhabitants of Africa. On the contrary, they like to walk among ostriches, gazelles, antelopes and buffalo. Like other animals, zebras are afraid of the lion. In addition to the lion, zebra is a favourite of predators such as the tiger, cheetah and leopard. Even on the water, this animal has something to watch out for. An alligator is always happy to attack his careless victim. But anyway, zebras continue to complement the amazing nature of Africa, because without them it was not so colorful and interesting.
Zebra is a mammal that has a very interesting color. It is covered with black and white stripes. On the head and neck the stripes are arranged vertically, on the legs horizontally, and the rest of the body is painted at an angle. It is important to remember that the dominant color is black, and white stripes is the absence of the main pigment.
These animals are average size, they grow up to 2 meters, and their weight is 300-350 kg. The males are slightly larger than females, they have a more muscular neck and a dense physique. Unlike horses, which boast a long, luxurious mane, the zebra has a hard and short neck.
Depending on the environment, there are three types of zebras. Savannah - this species has spread throughout the southeastern part of the African continent. Grevi - lives in the eastern part of Africa: Somalia, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia. This species has certain peculiarities, there is a dark wide strip in the middle of the back, and the abdomen is absolutely white. Hartmann is on the verge of extinction, but they can still be seen in the highlands of Namibia.
Zebras eat various herbs, roots of plants and leaves of shrubs. At least once a day they need drinking water, so in a particularly dry period, they have to travel long distances to find a water reservoir and quench their thirst.
These striped horses live in herding horses, led by a chief stallion. The male protects and preserves his females and cubs. There are many predators in Africa: lions, tigers, cheetahs, hyenas and alligators. Despite the fact that there is danger everywhere, zebras often manage to escape due to their stripes. When the whole herd moves, the predator cannot concentrate, this color confuses him. Interestingly, the location of the stripes in each zebra is unique and inimitable, this fact is fascinating.
