Mountain Zebra of Southwestern Africa

By: Sydney Dean, 2nd period

4/29/11

What is the Mountain Zebra?*The Mountain Zebra is a mammal.

*Family: Equidae

*Scientific Name/Species: Eqqus zebra

*Size: From height to shoulder, the Mountain Zebra is around 3-4 feet. In length from head to body, it is about 7 feet. Its tail is around 1 ½ feet long. The Mountain Zebra weighs approximately 570 pounds.

*The Mountain Zebra neighs like a horse. It can live for up to 28 years.

*They have very good hearing and eyesight.

*The Mountain Zebra can live for up to 30 years. Source: Wildlife Fact File

Habitat*Mountain Zebras live together in small herds. The herds consist of 1-6 mares and their young. The herd is led by the mare, and the stallion follows on one side to protect the rest of the herd.

*After two years, the male zebras leave their herd to form a bachelor herd. They then find mares to make their own herd, or they take over an already existing herd belonging to an old or weak stallion.

*The few of them that are left in the wild can be found in the mountain grasslands of southwestern Africa.

*There are two common mountainous regions in which they live in southwestern Africa. They were once commonly found in South Africa’s Cape Province, and southern Angola.

*Mountain zebras must be aware of their predators, the spotted hyena and the lion.

*Mountain Zebras are social with each other.Source: Wildlife Fact File, and African Wildlife Animals

Daily Diet*The Mountain Zebra looks for tender shoots of grass to eat, but often has to eat coarser grass.

* They also eat bark, leaves, buds, and fruit trees.

* The Mountain Zebra has sharp teeth which it uses to cut the grass it eats.

* The Mountain Zebra can go without water for more than three days.

*Zebras eat over 50 different species of grasses.

Source: Wildlife Fact File, and African Wildlife Animals

Breeding*Female zebras are ready to mate about three times per year. They usually mate at a certain time of the year so that their offspring will have spring’s abundant grass to feed on.

*When a single foal is born it is up and on its feet within an hour. Within a few hours it is ready to move with its herd.

*Young zebras stay with their herd for the first 2 years of their life.

*Female zebras give birth to their first foal when they are about 3 years old.

*Male zebras don’t start breeding until they are about 5 or 6 years old.

Source: Wildlife Fact File, and African Wildlife Animals

What do the Stripes Mean?*Scientists have always argued over the question of why zebras have striped coats.

*The thought of the stripes being a camouflage for the zebra is an idea that is not generally accepted anymore.

*Some people say that the stripes act as a bright signal to others in the herd.

*Others say that the stripes help foals to identify their mothers.

*Due to their stripes, no two zebras look exactly alike.

*Zebras have stripes all over their body except for on their stomachs. Source: Wildlife Fact File, and

“Mountain Zebra”, Wikipedia

Zebras VS. Humans*In the past, farmers once saw zebras as a

pest because they competed with the other cattle for grazing. They shot the zebras in large numbers, and received rewards for each zebra tail they collected.

* The hunting of zebras in the past nearly made the Cape Mountain Zebra species extinct.

*In 1913, the last 27 Cape Mountain Zebras in the world were taken to a national park near Cradock, South Africa to receive protection. Their population was saved and has grown since.

*Zebras are not easily tamed, but they are popular in zoos and circuses.

Cape Mountain Zebra

Source: Wildlife Fact File

Fun Facts

*Zebras graze for about 60% to 80% of their day.

*Zebras mix with various breeds of grass-eaters like the wildebeest because they eat grass at different stages of their growth.

*In order to groom itself, the zebra enjoys rolling in mud, then letting it dry. Once the mud is dry they shake it off which pulls out their dry skin and loose hair.

Source: Wildlife Fact File

Works Cited"Mountain Zebra." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, 17 Apr.

2011. Web. 08 May 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_Zebra>.

"African Wildlife, Animals - Zebra." Africa Safaris, Tours in Africa, African Holidays Travel Guide. The Africa Guide. Web. 08 May 2011. <http://www.africaguide.com/wildlife/zebra.htm>.

King, Judith: Wildlife Fact File. Pittsburg, PA: International Masters Publishers, 1997

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