Our favourite animal of this week:ZEBRA

 Grazers of Grass: ZEBRA

Zebras are almost exclusively grazers, favoring short grasses. They are particularly fond of freshly sprouted grass on recently burnt ground and will move large distances in search of this nutritious fodder. They do feed on slightly longer grass than the wildebeest, however, and precede these gregarious antelope in the Great Migration of the Serengeti-Mara. Zebra are dependent upon water and this limits their range and movements.

 Zebras are social animals that spend time in herds. They graze together, primarily on grass, and even groom one another.

Why do zebras have stripes at all? 

 Scientists aren't sure, but many theories center on their utility as some form of camouflage. The patterns may make it difficult for predators to identify a single animal from a running herd and distort distance at dawn and dusk.

 Or they may dissuade insects that recognize only large areas of single-colored fur or act as a kind of natural sunscreen.

Because of their uniqueness, stripes may also help zebras recognize one another.No animal has a more distinctive coat than the zebra. Each animal's stripes are as unique as fingerprints—no two are exactly alike—although each of the three species has its own general pattern.

 'Harem' Family

Burchell's Zebra live in small family groups, usually consisting of between four and eight individuals led by a single dominant stallion - the true 'harem family'. The adult mares in a group are usually related, being sisters, or 'aunts, nieces and daughters'. Once they are able to fend for themselves, male offspring are evicted from the herd by the dominant stallion.

To prevent interbreeding between 'fathers and daughters', zebras have devised a rather clever strategy. When the young mares first come into oestrus, they adopt an inviting stance to attract nearby members of bachelor groups (adult mares do not show-off in this fashion). Fights often ensue between the stallions, but inevitably the 'father' cannot attend to the many advances, and loses each of his 'daughters' to her suitor.

The catch, however, is that the young males will not permit copulation during their first oestrus, and will wait until they are settled into a family before beginning to breed. The Burchell's Zebra has a gestation period of 12 months, with a single foal being born at any time of the year.

 Social Hierarchy

The adult males within the family have a social hierarchy which is clearly evident when they are on the move - the stallion at the rear, the dominant mare leading the group, and the lower-ranking members following in sequence. So, in effect, the dominant mare leads the family. Large congregations of zebra consist of numerous harem families which retain their identity within the big herd.

Social with Other Species

Zebras frequently associate with antelopes, gazelles, giraffe, and even ostrich. This activity is thought to be an anti-predator device. Nevertheless, zebras feature high on the list of lion and Spotted Hyena prey. Youngsters are particularly susceptible to these social predators which, hunting in groups, are able to separate the young from the adults. Stallions will defend their harem vigorously, sometimes badly mauling or even killing the attacker.

Caring for the Young

When a foal is born the mother keeps all other zebras (even the members of her family) away from it for 2 or 3 days, until it learns to recognize her by sight, voice and smell.

While all foals have a close association with their mothers, the male foals are also close to their fathers. They leave their group on their own accord between the ages of 1 and 4 years to join an all-male bachelor group until they are strong enough to head a family.