Zebra
Equus zebra
Equus quagga
Equus grevyi
- See Equus for other species.
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Zebras are members of the
horse family native to central and southern
Africa. All have vividly contrasting black and white vertical stripes (hence the
zebra crossing named after it) on the forequarters, often tending towards the horizontal at the rear of the animal. The stripes have a cooling effect due to
convection currents.
There are three
species and many
subspecies. Zebra populations vary a great deal, and the relationships between and the taxonomic status of several of the subspecies are unclear.
The
Plains Zebra (
Equus quagga, formerly
Equus burchelli) is the most common, and has or had about 5 subspecies distributed across much of southern and eastern Africa. It, or particular subspecies of it, have also been known as the Common Zebra, the Dauw, Burchell's Zebra (actually the extinct subspecies,
Equus quagga burchelli), and the
Quagga (another extinct subspecies,
Equus quagga quagga).
The
Mountain Zebra (
Equus zebra) of southwest Africa tends to have a sleek coat with a white belly and narrower stripes than the Plains Zebra. It has two subspecies and is classified as endangered.
Grevy's Zebra (
Equus grevyi) is the largest type, similar in appearance to Grevy's Zebra but with an erect mane, and a long, narrow head making it appear rather
mule-like. It is a creature of the semi-arid grasslands of
Ethiopia,
Somalia, and northern
Kenya. It is endangered too.
- Family Equidae
- Przewalski's Horse, Equus przewalskii
- Domestic Horse, Equus caballus
- Donkey or African Ass, Equus asinus
- Zonkey ?
- Onager or Asiatic Ass, Equus hemionus
- Plains Zebra, Equus quagga
- Quagga, Equus quagga quagga (extinct)
- Burchell's Zebra, Equus quagga burchelli (extinct)
- Grant's Zebra, Equus quagga boehmi
- Chapman's Zebra, Equus quagga antiquorum
- Selous' Zebra, Equus quagga selousi
- Mountain Zebra, Equus zebra
- Cape Mountain Zebra, Equus zebra zebra
- Hartmann's Zebra, Equus zebra hartmanni
- Grevy's Zebra, Equus grevyi
