Mountain zebras communicate using mainly visual and auditory cues. Because no two individuals have identical stripe patterns, body pattern can be used for individual indentification. At close range, individuals can also be recognized by smell. Ears laid flat back against the head signal threat, especially when accompanied by a lowered head and open mouth. During greeting rituals, mountain zebras touch noses and communicate rank by the positioning of the ears. As a gesture of inferiority, younger individuals hold their ears to the side and make chewing motions with exposed incisors when greeting adults.
Klingel, ; Penzhorn, Mountain zebras make a variety of vocalizations. Stallions make a high-pitched alarm call or snort to alert herd members to danger.
Bachelor stallions make a drawn-out squeal when confronted by a herd stallion. In order to express contentment when feeding, mountain zebras make a soft sound caused by forcing air between closed lips.
Both subspecies of mountain zebra are herbivorous. The primary diet consists of grass but also includes browse. Even so, they are still coarse grazers and will exploit both stem and leaf parts of chosen grasses. The primary grass eaten is Themeda triandra. Other grasses consumed include: Cymbopogon plurinodis , Heteropogon contortus , Setaria neglecta , and Enneapogon scoparius.
Cape mountain zebras of all ages also frequent mineral licks, especially during the summer. Grobler, ; Nowak, ; Penzhorn, b ; Penzhorn, The dominant stallion alerts other herd members to danger with a high-pitched alarm call or snort. He then takes up a defensive position to the rear of the herd while a mare, usually the one with the youngest foal, leads the rest of the herd away.
Flight is the most common response to threat, and is sometimes accompanied by a defensive kick. Pulling the ears flat back against the head, lashing the tail, and lowering the head with the neck outstretched and teeth bared, is the form taken for threat behavior. Although fighting is rarely seen, it consists of biting at the opponent's head, neck, legs, and hindquarters. Mountain zebras act in response to the flight and or alarm signals of black wildebeest Connochaetes gnou.
However, they rarely respond to similar signals of smaller antelope species. Joubert, b ; Klingel, ; Nowak, ; Penzhorn, ; Penzhorn, Especially at high temperatures, the striped pattern of E. At a distance of a few hundred yards, the stripes make a mountain zebra appear indistinct. To some degree, stripes may also provide protection against blood-sucking insects that transmit disease such as bot-flies and ticks.
Klingel, In addition to serving as prey for certain mammalian carnivores, mountain zebras also serve as hosts for a variety of tick, bot-fly, nematode, and cestode species. They also associate with several species of birds that presumably remove external parasites from them.
As grazers, mountain zebras may also aid in seed dispersal, and the creation of habitat for smaller animals including mesopredators. Mountain zebras bring in money from ecotourism, and some are still harvested for their skins.
Nowak, ; Penzhorn, Historically, E. The major threats to E. Mountain Zebra National Park and other reserves were established for the protection of E. As of , they were estimated at over individuals.
During the s, numbers of E. In they were estimated at only about 8, Animals with bilateral symmetry have dorsal and ventral sides, as well as anterior and posterior ends. Synapomorphy of the Bilateria. Vegetation is typically sparse, though spectacular blooms may occur following rain. Deserts can be cold or warm and daily temperates typically fluctuate.
In dune areas vegetation is also sparse and conditions are dry. This is because sand does not hold water well so little is available to plants. In dunes near seas and oceans this is compounded by the influence of salt in the air and soil. Salt limits the ability of plants to take up water through their roots. Ecotourism implies that there are existing programs that profit from the appreciation of natural areas or animals.
Endothermy is a synapomorphy of the Mammalia, although it may have arisen in a now extinct synapsid ancestor; the fossil record does not distinguish these possibilities. Convergent in birds. Iteroparous animals must, by definition, survive over multiple seasons or periodic condition changes. This terrestrial biome includes summits of high mountains, either without vegetation or covered by low, tundra-like vegetation.
Grobler, J. A typical Zebra weighs between lb kg and has a lifespan of roughly 25 years. National Geographic - Zebras Wikipedia - Zebras. Wikipedia - Equus Britannica - Equine. The Equidae family is comprised of horses, donkeys, and zebras with only one existing family, Equus.
The Equidae family most likely originated in North America, however, domestic zebras, horses, and donkeys now exist worldwide while wild horses and zebras exist only in Asia and Africa. X Dimensions. Browse Tags Convert About. Humans Animals Plants. Furniture Fixtures Layouts Buildings. Transport Sports Digital Pop Culture. Zebra 3D Model. What are equines? Equines are part of the mammal family, Equidae, that includes the modern horse, zebra, and ass.
The equine family has 7 living species. Equines are odd-toed ungulates and have long, slender legs, long heads, long necks, manes, and long nails. All species of equines are herbivorous. When did equines branch into horses and mules? Mules are the result of breeding a female horse, and a male donkey. They were intentionally bred to bring out the best characteristics of horses and donkeys while eliminating any undesirable characteristics.
Near threatened. Least Concern Extinct. Current Population Trend: Decreasing. Share Tweet Email. Go Further. Animals Wild Cities This wild African cat has adapted to life in a big city.
Animals This frog mysteriously re-evolved a full set of teeth. Animals Wild Cities Wild parakeets have taken a liking to London. Animals Wild Cities Morocco has 3 million stray dogs. Meet the people trying to help. Animals Whales eat three times more than previously thought. Environment Planet Possible India bets its energy future on solar—in ways both small and big. Environment As the EU targets emissions cuts, this country has a coal problem. Zebras are social animals and live in groups called herds.
There is typically a lead male of the herd, called a stallion. The herd also consists of several females and their young. The stallion stays at the back of the group to defend against predators. When zebras are grouped together, the stripes make it difficult for predators, including lions and leopards, to pick out one zebra to chase.
Zebras communicate with each other through facial expressions, ear positioning and sounds. They make loud braying or barking sounds and soft snorting sounds. Their ear positioning, how wide open their eyes are, and whether they show their teeth all send a signal. However, the largest threats to zebras are linked to human activities, such as hunting and habitat loss or fragmentation. Habitat loss due to human encroachment, agricultural practices, and livestock grazing remains an issue in the ongoing conservation of this species.
Hunting is another major threat to zebras, primarily for their skins and for their meat. While they are primarily hunted for their skins, they will occasionally be killed for food. Occasionally, they will be killed and used for medicinal use in some regions.
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