Zebras, Africa's striped wild horses, inhabit grasslands in the eastern and southern parts of the continent. Besides the Plains zebras (Equus quagga) there are two other species: The Mountain zebras (Equus zebra) and the Grevy's zebras (Equus grevyi). Although the species look very similar, they are not more closely related to each other than to the other horse species like Wild ass and Przewalski's horse. If one thinks of Zebras the first thing coming to mind is their stripy patterns. Their has been a lot of dispute about the reasons for the stripes. Probably there are several of them: Since there are individual differences in the patterns, it has been argued that they play a role in individual recognition. Moreover it is an efficient camouflage on the wide plains; predators have difficulties in seeing Zebras from a distance because of their patterns. But the stripes are not just useful against predators; also the disease-causing Tsetse flies can't make them out as easily as animals without patterns.
The Quagga is listed as Extinct (EX), there is no reasonable doubt that the last individual has died, on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Countries
South Africa
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