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Table of Contents
Keep reading below for more information, facts and resources about this wonderful animal or download the comprehensive worksheet collection to use within the homeschooling or classroom environment.
Introduction – Zebra Facts
- Zebras are animals that resemble the horse. They walk, trot, canter and gallop like horses, but do not move as quickly.
- Zebras are African equines with distinctive black-and-white striped coats.
- There are three living species of zebra, namely the Plains Zebra, which is the most common one, the Mountain Zebra, and the Grevy Zebra.
- The three groups are the only living members of the Equidae family.
- Zebras share the genus Equus with horses and asses horses and asses.
- Zebra stripes come in different patterns that are unique to each individual.
- Zebras inhabit southern and eastern Africa and can be found in a variety of habitats such as shrublands, grasslands, savannahs, and mountainous areas.
- Zebras are primarily grazers and can subsist on lower-quality vegetation.
- Zebras communicate with various vocalizations, body postures, and facial expressions.
- Zebras’ dazzling stripes make them among the most recognizable mammals.
- Zebras are preyed on mainly by lions, leopards, and hyenas. Occasionally, a cheetah will hunt a young zebra.
- They typically flee when threatened but can also bite and kick.
Identifying Features
- Zebra are identified by:
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- bold black-and-white striping patterns
- barrel-chested bodies
- tufted tails
- elongated faces
- long necks
- long, erect manes
- slender, elongated legs which end in a single spade-shaped toe covered in a hard hoof.
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- They are odd-toed ungulates, which means they have an odd number of toes on each hoof – ungulate means a hoofed mammal.
- The eyes of zebras are at the sides and far up the head, which allows them to see above the tall grass while grazing and they have a wide field of vision for spotting danger.
- Their long, erect ears are movable and can locate the source of a sound.
- Zebra front limbs are longer than their back limbs.
- Their muzzle is dark and the skin underneath the coat is uniformly black.
- The general pattern is a line that extends from the forehead to the tail. From there, the stripes stretch downward except on the rump, where they develop species-specific patterns that may include brown or gray stripes, and near the nose where they curve toward the nostrils.
- Stripes split above the front legs, creating shoulder stripes.
- The stripes on the legs, ears, and tail are separate and horizontal.
- Zebras also have complex patterns around the eyes and the lower jaw.
- Striping patterns are unique to an individual.
- Albino zebras have been recorded in the forests of Mount Kenya, with the dark stripes being blonde.
- Biologist believe that the reason zebras evolved stripes was to break up the shape of an individual within a herd. The pattern makes it more difficult for predators to keep focused on one animal, especially when they are running in a group.
Differences in Species
Grévy’s Zebra
- Grévy’s zebra, also known as the imperial zebra, is the largest living wild equid and the most threatened of the three species of zebra.
- Named after Jules Grévy, it is found in Ethiopia and Kenya.
- Compared with other zebras, it is tall, has large ears, and its stripes are narrower.
- The Grévy’s zebra lives in semi-arid grasslands where it feeds on grasses and legumes.
- It can survive up to five days without water.
- It differs from the other zebra species in that it does not live in harems and has few long-lasting social bonds.
- Stallion territoriality and mother–foal relationships form the basis of the social system of the Grévy’s zebra.
- This zebra is considered to be endangered as the population declined from 15,000 to 2,000 since the 1970s. In 2016 the population was reported to be stable.
The Plains Zebra
- The plains zebra, also known as the common zebra, is the most common and geographically widespread species of zebra.
- Its range spans much of southern and eastern Africa south of the Sahara. They make some of the longest migrations of land mammals, traveling up to 500 km (310 mi) between Namibia and Botswana.
- The plains zebra is intermediate in size between the larger Grévy’s zebra and the smaller mountain zebra and tends to have broader stripes than both.
- The plains zebra’s habitat is generally treeless grasslands and savanna woodlands, both tropical and temperate.
- They generally avoid deserts, dense rainforests, and permanent wetlands.
- The plains zebra is a highly social species, forming harems with a single stallion and several mares and their recent offspring.
- Bachelor groups also form and groups come together to form herds.
- The animals keep watch for predators; they bark or snort when they see a predator and the harem stallion attacks predators to defend his harem.
- The plains zebra remains common in game reserves but is threatened by human activities such as hunting for its meat and hide.
- The species population is stable and not endangered, though populations in most countries have declined.
- The quagga was a subspecies of the plains zebra. It lived in South Africa and was hunted to extinction in the late 1900s. In 1987, a special breeding project began to bring the subspecies back through selective breeding. By 2006, third and fourth-generation animals looked just like their predecessors. Critics claim that they only look like quagga and are not the same in DNA.
The Mountain Zebra
- The mountain zebra is native to southwestern Africa.
- There are two subspecies, the Cape mountain zebra found in South Africa and Hartmann’s mountain zebra found in south-western Angola and Namibia.
- The mountain zebra has a dewlap, (a fold of loose skin hanging from the neck or throat).
- Mountain zebras are boldly striped in black or dark brown, and no two individuals look exactly alike.
- The whole body is striped except for the belly.
- In the Cape mountain zebra, the ground color is effectively white, but the ground color in Hartmann’s zebra is slightly buff.
- Mountain zebras form small family groups consisting of a single stallion and one to five mares, together with their recent offspring.
- Bachelor males live in separate groups, and mature bachelors attempt to capture young mares to establish a harem.
Diet and Habitat of Zebras
- Zebras mostly eat grasses but may also consume bark, leaves, buds, fruits, and roots if their preferred foods are scarce.
- Zebras have a simpler and less efficient digestive system than ruminants and they can subsist on lower-quality vegetation.
- Zebras may spend 60–80% of their time feeding, depending on the availability and quality of vegetation.
- Zebras also spend up to seven hours a day sleeping.
- During the day, they sleep standing up while at night they lie down to sleep.
- They like to rub against rocks and trees.
- They also like to roll around in dust for protection against flies.
- Biting and kicking are a zebra’s defense tactics.
Reproduction
- Male zebras reach sexual maturity at age 1 to 2 years old.
- Female zebras can come into their first mating seasons as soon as they are 1 year old and while still nursing from their mothers. However, they will usually not get pregnant until they are at least 2 years old.
- The length of gestation is roughly 11–13 months.
- Foals (baby zebra) are born with brown and white coats, and the brown darkens with age.
- Usually, a single foal is born, which is capable of running within an hour of birth.
- Within a few weeks, foals attempt to graze, but may continue to nurse for eight to thirteen months.
- If a foal is threatened by pack-hunting hyenas or dogs, the entire group works together to protect all the young foals by forming a protective front with the foals in the center, and the stallion will rush at predators that come too close.
Did You Know?
- Zebras have been featured in African art and culture for millennia. They are depicted in rock art in Southern Africa dating from 28,000 to 20,000 years ago.
- The question of how the zebra got its stripes is part of folklore. Some stories suggest they were caused by being scorched by fire. Rudyard Kipling, the author of The Jungle Book, suggested that the black stripes came from a zebra standing in the shade of a tree and its slippery shadows fell on the back of the zebra to make stripes.
- Zebras look very exotic and have been desired by exotic animal collectors for centuries. It’s not been possible to domesticate them.
- Zebras have been trained and tamed throughout history. In Rome, zebras are recorded to have pulled chariots during gladiator games. Zebras have also been kept in captivity since at least the Roman Empire.
Zebra Worksheets
This bundle contains 11 ready-to-use Zebra Worksheets that are perfect for students who want to learn more about Zebras, which are several species of African equids (part of the horse family) distinguishable by their distinctive black and white striped coats. Each zebra has a unique, different pattern of stripes.
What’s included?
Download includes the following worksheets:
- Zebra Facts
- Quick Quiz
- Horses and Zebra
- Anatomy – Basic Parts
- My Pattern
- Habitat – Zebra Mapping
- The Quagga – The Return
- It Starts with “Z”
- The Poetic Zebra
- Zeb-maze
- Legend of the Stripes
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a group of zebra called?
A group of zebras is called a dazzle but can also be called a herd of zebras or a zeal of zebras.
What do zebras drink?
Zebras need a lot of water. They’ve been known to drink up to a gallon of water at one time. However, wild zebras can survive up to five days without water.
Is the zebra related to the horse?
Yes. Zebras are a species of wild horse from the family Equidae. They are found in Africa.
What is special about zebra?
Each individual zebra has its own unique striped pattern. This means that no two zebras in the world are ever the same
Do zebras eat flowers?
If there is no suitable grass, zebras will happily eat flowers, herbs, shrubs, and twigs.
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Link will appear as Zebra Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, January 6, 2018
Use With Any Curriculum
These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.