Zebra

The Zebra is, as they say in the Dr Seuss™ books a horse in striped pajamas.

Well almost. It is in fact Africa’s answer to the wild horse.

The Zebra lives in Africa and boast one of the largest numbers of animals of any species, There isn’t a lot that zebra won’t eat and they are first into the range to get the food, tramping down whatever lies in their way, while the other animals follow closely behind.

Zebra will travel many miles to graze on a favored food, during the day. They may walk as far as ten or twelve miles in a day to eat.

Zebra

At night they sleep and graze alternatively, and make certain they are in shorter grass where they can’t be preyed on by the African predators such as lions and hyena.

Zebras live in groups, called herds, and one zebra will stand guard while the others sleep. They sleep about an hour at a time, waking to eat and then sleep again.

Most Zebra will sleep standing.

A Zebra male who is the head zebra is called a harem master, and he is the only one who mates with several zebra females, sometimes as many as ten.

The mares never leave these harems, but stay their entire lives giving birth to their babies there.

Often the babies will stay as well because the male zebra is very protective of his family. If a zebra is missing from the herd, the stallion will go to find them, calling as he walks until he finds them, or evidence of them.

Zebra

The entire herd will go slower if one of their numbers is ill or injured to be sure they can keep up.

If the stallion is killed or is badly injured another stallion will inherit his range and harem.

That is not usually the case as zebras, unless killed by predators or humans will live for about twenty years even in the wild.

Little zebras, called foals can be born at nearly any time of the year.

The mother goes into labor, which are pains that help to push the foal from her body, and lies on her side, while the rest of the herd stand near. The stallion will stand guard as she gives birth.Find out more about the Zebra over at Wikipedia »