Zebra Habitat

Zebra is one of the amazing animals with characteristic stripes. Depending upon the species, the stripe pattern can be either black or dark brown alternating with white color. Similar to fingerprints of humans, every zebra has a unique stripe pattern different from others. Researchers use these different stripe patterns for identification purposes. Zebra belongs to the family Equidae, which is characterized by presence of only one toe. Like horses, Zebra too is adapted to fast running on hard ground (40 mph). Other adaptations are excellent eyesight and stripes which help in protecting them from the predators.

At present, there are three living species of zebra, namely plain zebra (the most common one), Grévy's zebra (Equus grevyi) and Mountain zebra (Equus zebra). All species of zebra are herbivores, feeding on grass and other plants. The digestive system of zebra is such that it can digest tough grasses and rough vegetations. An adult zebra measures to about 1.5 m (5 ft ) shoulder height. The largest living species is the ‘Grévy's zebra’, which can weigh up to 450 kg (990 lb). Zebra has a gestation period of one year. The life span of a zebra is about 12 years in the wild. Let's take a look at the habitat of zebra.

Zebra Habitat

Zebra prefers to live in open grassland areas and woodlands where there is sufficient vegetation. It is a highly social animal which often shares its habitat range with other grazers. Zebra changes its habitat based on the availability of food, water and presence of predators. It usually changes its habitat between day and night so as to avoid its worst enemy, the lions.

During the rainy season, zebra migrates in large herds passing through different habitats such as savannahs, short and tall grasses. Since water requirement of each zebra species vary, they live in different habitats. For example, the plain zebra requires constant water supply and its habitats are always near to water source. Among the three zebra species, the plain zebra is the most widely distributed species. Its habitat range spreads to east Africa and Angola in the west.

The habitat of Grévy's zebra is exclusive to certain parts of northern Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia. Since it requires less water supply in comparison to other zebra species, it can survive drought and semiarid conditions. Hence, their habitats are usually far away from natural water sources. During dry season, it uses its pointed hooves for digging waterholes.

Mountain zebra inhabits areas with extremely high altitudes. It is distributed in the hills of Africa, Namibia and Angola. Mountain zebra can survive at an elevation of about 4,000 meters above the mean sea level. It is adapted with pointed and hard hooves, which serves the main purpose for climbing the slopes. Similar to Grévy's zebra, it can tolerate drought conditions. During dry spells, Mountain zebra migrates to higher ground.

The population of zebra is decreasing day by day. As per the IUCN Red Data, both the Grévy's zebra and Mountain zebra species are endangered. The main reasons for the declining population of these species are unlawful hunting and loss of habitat.