• Home • Survival • Snakes • Screen Savers • News • Calendars • Upgrade •
 
•  •

This is an example of how information is displayed for all the species. All hyperlinks are enabled in the actual Field Guide: for example, the word  mountain zebra, lion, spotted hyena or leopard (or any other species' name that appear in the text) will have a hyperlink directly to relevant species' page.


Afrikaans Bontsebra
Zulu Dube Tswana Pitse ya naga

wpe1E.jpg (9478 bytes)


Tracks
 
11 cm

Distribution Dung
6 cm

Description

It is only possible to confuse Burchell's zebra with the Cape mountain zebra. The stripes on the flanks run on to the belly whereas the belly is white with a single stripe along the middle in mountain zebra. Stripes fade out on lower legs but are distinctly striped all the way down in mountain zebra. Stripes on the rump run diagonally and lengthways but crossways in mountain zebra. On the rump there are usually chestnut or yellowish stripes in the middle of the white stripes whereas the stripes on the mountain zebra's rump is solid.

Like human fingerprints and irises, each individual has a unique stripe pattern. The muzzle is black. A short, stiff mane runs down the back of the neck and the tail has a whisk of long black hair on the end. Somewhat bigger than mountain zebra: shoulder height males 1,35 m ; weight males 320 kg, females 260 kg.

Visible Male/Female Differences

Males are a little larger than females. Both sexes have stripe a black running vertically between their hind legs; in the males it is narrow and wide in the females. Females have one pair of mammae between their hind legs. 

Habitat and Distribution

Open woodland, scrub and grassland. Dependent on water and rarely moves more than 12 km from it. Very widely translocated.

Diet

Prefers short, green grass but will eat tall, coarse growth. Browses occasionally and will eat the fire-scorched leaves and twigs of mopane and round-leaved kiaat trees. Unselective bulk feeders, the zebras are less sensitive to food quality than other large herbivores and can maintain good body condition on very poor veld.

Reproduction

Single foals weighing 30-35 kg are born at any time of year after a gestation of 360-390 days. Foals can  stand after about 10 minutes, walk after half an hour and run after an hour. Foals start eating grass within a few days and wean at 11 months. Lions  and spotted hyenas take adult zebras; foals are taken by lions, spotted hyenas, leopards and cheetahs. Will stand their ground to wild dogs.

Behavior and Habits

Active in the cooler early morning and late afternoon. Drinks at least once a day and has a strong preference for clean water. When water is muddy it may scrape a hole into which clean water seeps or try to skim cleaner water from the surface. Home ranges cover 110-220 square kilometers. Considerable distances are covered to reach grazing.

Stallions fight viciously for control of females. Males that do not hold breeding herds join bachelor herds with dominance hierarchy depending on age. Bonds are maintained by mutual grooming. Aggression from herd stallions forces bachelors to the fringe of areas in which zebras occur. When herd stallions meet they stand and sniff nose to nose, rub their cheeks together and sniff each other's genitals, stamp their forefeet and toss their heads. Submission is signaled by lowering of the head and  holding the ears back and making chewing movements. Dominance and threats are signaled by holding the head high with ears cocked forward or turned inwards and back, showing the teeth, and chasing.

Sounds

The alarm call is a high-pitched, repeated two-syllable 'kwa-hi'. The sound is typical of the  African bushveld and the colloquial name "quagga" is derived from it. If threatened by predators, herds flee in tight bunches. Top speed is 55 km/h. Herd stallions defend their groups by running in the rear as they flee, kicking and biting attackers, mares defend their foals in the same fashion. Predators are much more successful if the zebra can separated from the herd. The contrasting black and white stripes may help to confuse predators and allow zebras to see each other more clearly in poor visibility.

Dung and Field sign

The dung is kidney-shaped lumps, 5 cm or more across, characteristically with a crack across the middle, often loosely stuck together. Areas where dust baths have been taken

 


© Safari Media Africa/ C.A. Mitchell 2000-9
Web Site Developed by