Burchell’s Zebra, or Equus quagga burchelli, is a southern sub specie of the plains Zebra, and named after William John Burchell – a British explorer. They are native to Africa and are especially common in Eastern and Southern Africa. They prefer treeless grasslands and savanna woodlands.
Zebras are admired for their distinctive skin with black, white and brownish/greyish stripes. What makes them truly unique is that no two zebras have the same pattern – their stripes are as unique as a fingerprint and used by young to identify their mothers.
Scientists have struggled to agree on the reason for Zebra’s stripes. However, many theories have it that the stripes are used as camouflage. Zebras are herd animals and, when together, their stripes merge into one big mass. This makes it very challenging for predators to identify a single animal from a running herd, especially at dawn and dusk.
As zebras are herbivores their diet is made up of mostly grasses, barks and herbs. They sleep in groups while they are standing, which assists in keeping them protected in the dark of the African night!
SONY DSC