With one mighty kick, he sent the baboon flying onto the rocks. He said he was the lord of the water and forbade every other animal from drinking.Ī thirsty pure white zebra decided to fight the baboon so his herd could drink. After all, scientists can claim all they want, but it is the San who have spent their lives living side by side with zebras.Ī long long time ago, deep in the Kalahari, a boisterous baboon guarded the last remaining waterhole. However, the best explanation is a tale told around the campfire by the San bushmen of Namibia’s Kalahari. We could go into a rich scientific explanation concerning evolution, including the theory that striped horses appeared more than once throughout mammal history. But how did they evolve to have stripes in the first place? Zebra patterns – a story from the San of the Kalahari
ARE ZEBRAS WHITE WITH BLACK STRIPES OR THE OTHER WAY AROUND SKIN
Skin pigmentation can explain how each zebra gets its stripes. The two species remain so similar that they can breed together. Zebras split from horses 3 million years ago. Basically, the skin pigmentation only fully transfers when the zebra reaches 18-24 months. Young zebras do not have black and white stripes, but soft brown markings instead. All giraffes have the same light tan, yet every giraffe species has different patterns on its coat. African cheetahs only have spots on their fur, but tigers ( not from Africa) have striped skin. This is a similar process to other African mammals. Special skin cells transfer the black pigmentation from their skin, therefore making stripes. These magnificent mammals stand out from the grass, a mass of black and white stripes framed against the wilderness.īut underneath these black and white stripes, zebras look just like horses. How Do Zebras Get Their Stripes?Įncountering a zebra herd is one of Africa’s most iconic experiences. Zebras also dig for rhizomes or roots.įeces: Elongated shape, similar to warthog droppings. Scientific name: Equus burchellii (Plains/Burchell’s Zebra), Equus grevyi (Grevy’s Zebra), and Equus zebra (Mountain Zebra).ĭiet: Essentially grazers, though they may occasionally browse. So you can form your own opinion on the uniqueness of zebra stripes. This article discusses all the hypotheses and mysteries. The zebra stripes pattern is like human fingerprints and no two are ever the same.īut why do zebras have such unique stripes? And how do zebras get stripes when horses do not?Įven today, we don’t have a definitive answer to these questions. Their black and white pajamas are highly recognizable and make them stand out in the African savannah.ĭid you know that every zebra has unique stripes? Zebras are remarkable animals, a sweet look-alike mix between a horse and donkey.
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