What is the average length of a zebra

There are social hierarchies within a breeding herd. The stallion is the dominant member of the herd, with an evident linear hierarchy existing among mares of small herds.

In newly established herds, the stallion must actively prevent mares and foals from leaving. In larger, often longer-established herds, the stallion's role is relatively passive, and social hierarchies are harder to determine because each herd member appears to know its relative position. Although dominant mares are more likely to initiate most herd activities, there is no straightforward correlation between dominance and leadership.

In Cape mountain zebras, estrus and the birth of a foal can influence the social hierarchy by causing mares to temporarily rise in standing. However, Penzhorn found that reproductive success is not essential for social dominance.

A foal's hierarchical position is more or less determined by its size, but foals also receive some benefits from the status of the mother when she is nearby. Bachelor groups also have a rank hierarchy, but it is less stable than that of breeding herds. Both subspecies of mountain zebra are predominately diurnal, and are active in the early morning and late afternoon to sunset.

Grazing and resting occupy most of the daylight hours. Resting is done either standing up or lying down. Mountain zebras usually drink once or twice per day. During cold weather, they often look for shelter in wooded ravines and shallow caves, and visit east-facing slopes on cold mornings to sun themselves.

Breeding herds of E. Selection may not be just for food, but also for shelter, drinking spots, and mineral licks. Rainfall pattern also affects the distribution of mountain zebras. Joubert, b ; Klingel, ; Nowak, ; Penzhorn, b ; Penzhorn, Individual grooming takes the form of shaking, rubbing, scratching, nibbling, and localized muscle contractions.

Individuals also usually take a dust bath daily. Mountain zebras participate in mutual grooming, which not only has a practical function, but is also important in maintaining group cohesion. Mutual grooming takes place most often between mares and foals. However, it also occurs between foals and herd stallions, mares and herd stallions, and between pairs of mares.

Although play has rarely been recorded in E. Play patterns include racing and chasing, challenge games, and play-fighting. Challenge games usually consist of nasonasal contact followed by mutual grooming or body rubbing. In the winter, breeding herds have a grazing area of 6 to 20 km2 with summer grazing areas being considerably smaller.

Herds of E. Klingel, ; Penzhorn, a ; Penzhorn, 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, Some subspecies of plains zebras have brownish "shadow" stripes between the black stripes, according to the San Diego Zoo. It is believed that the zebra's stripes work like camouflage, according to the National Geographic.

When zebras stand together, it is harder for predators to determine how many zebras are in the group. The stripes may also make the zebra appear unattractive to smaller predators, such as bloodsucking horseflies, which can spread disease.

In addition, the stripes may work as a natural sunscreen. Each zebra's stripes are unique. Just as no two human fingerprints are alike, no two zebras have the same stripe pattern. The largest zebra is the Grevy's zebra, according to the San Diego Zoo. It weighs to lbs. Their thick bodies make them look like mules with stripes. Mountain zebras are from 3. Plains zebras are 3. Though they all live in Africa, each species of zebra has its own home area.

Plains zebras live in the treeless grasslands and woodlands of eastern and southern Africa. The Grevy's zebra lives in in the arid grasslands of Ethiopia and northern Kenya. What is the Coggins Test in equines? This disease causes equines to have fevers, anemia, edema, weight loss, and muscle wasting. Infected horses carry the disease for life, and there is no vaccine nor treatment for EIA. Which animals are odd-toed ungulates? There are about 17 species of odd-toed ungulates.

Animals that are odd-toed ungulates include the javan rhinoceros, mountain tapir, mountain zebra, onager, kiang, mule, donkey, and horse. Other animals include the Sumatran rhinoceros, African wild ass, and Malayan tapir. What are the shared characteristics of odd-toed ungulates? Shared characteristics of odd-toed ungulates include them being herbivores and each having 1 or 3 hoofed toes on each hindfoot.

They also have a long upper jaw and a reduced ulna and fibula bones simplifying both the wrist and ankle joint. What are the differences between odd and even-toed ungulates? The most notable difference between even and odd-toed ungulates is the number of toes they have. Odd-toed ungulates have an odd number of toes, while even-toed ungulates have an even number of toes 2 or 4. Odd-toed ungulates are able to digest plant matter in their intestines, while even-toed ungulates digest their meals in one or more stomach chambers.

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