In the same way as horses, they only have a single toe on each foot which they walk on the tip of and is protected by their tough hooves. Zebras are heavy-bodied animals that are perfectly designed for speed with their long and slender legs and narrow hooves helping them to reach speeds of 40kph when running. Burchell’s zebra (Equus quagga burchellii) is a subspecies of the plains zebra, named for the British explorer and naturalist William John Burchell and found in southern areas. Plains Zebra – The plains zebra (Equus quagga) is the most common group of zebras, native to East and South Africa, preferring open grasslands and savannah woodlands.There are two sub-species of mountain zebra–the Cape mountain zebra (South Africa) and Hartmann’s mountain zebra (southwestern Angola and Namibia). Mountain Zebra – The mountain zebra (Equus zebra) prefers mountainous, woodland, or grassland habitats.Classified as endangered, it inhabits semi-arid grasslands and scrub in parts of Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia. it’s named after Jules Grévy but is also called the imperial zebra. Grévy’s Zebra – Grévy’s zebra (Equus grevyi) is the largest species of zebra.There are three species of zebras native to various parts of Africa listed below: As the ancestors of zebras evolved, their teeth adapted to aid them in grazing. There were three modern types that evolved from the Donohippus–horses, wild horses, and donkeys/zebras/onagers. They lost their toes, grew longer legs, and their teeth adapted to grazing.įrom these ancestors sprung Donohippus, which is the more direct ancestor of the modern horse. See all of our entertaining and insightful animal articles.Īs this animal took on other characteristics like grazing, faster speeds, and a larger size, other names were ascribed to it–Orohippus, Epihippus, Mesohippus, Miohippus, Kalabatipus, Parahippus and Merychippus. Zebra vs Horse: What Are the Differences?.What Do Lions Eat? 15 Animals They Hunt.Donkey vs Mule:5 Key Differences Explained.The 9 Coolest Extinct Animals to Ever Walk the Earth.The Top 10 Illegal Pets to Own in the United States.The 10 Strongest Animals in the world by Bite, Squeeze, and Lift.The Top 10 Coolest Animals in the World.Amazing! 12 Types of Hybrid Animals That Actually Exist."We know that in situations where stripes are apparent in the hair, they are not apparent in skin," Barsh says, citing domestic cats, domestic dogs, horses, zebras, and cheetahs as examples. The two systems are controlled by different genes, hormones, and other factors, says Barsh, who studies the genetics of animal color patterns. Melanocytes that live between follicles control skin color, says Greg Barsh, a geneticist at Hudson Alpha Biotechnology Institute in Huntsville, Alabama. The short answer is it depends on the animal.Īll mammalian hair color is dictated by melanin-producing cells, called melanocytes, that live within hair follicles. ( Before and After: See Animals Change Their Coats for Winter.)īut what does animal skin look like under fur or hair-especially strikingly patterned animals such as big cats and zebras? Reader Christian Meyer asked Weird Animal Question of the Week to investigate. Spring is coming, and as some of us prepare to trade snowsuits for swimsuits, we may find a few extra pounds under our winter coats.Īnimals are smart.
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