Animals

Grant’s Zebra

Equus Quagga Boehmi

Every zebra has a unique pattern of stripes! A zebra’s stripes are much like our fingerprints, no two zebras are the same. Wildlife biologists believe that the combined stripes of a herd of zebras help to protect them from predators. When they are running away from an attacking lion, the movement of so many stripes makes it more difficult for the lion to focus on any one animal. The Grant’s Zebra lives in family groups led by a single male (stallion), but when moving across the savanna to new feeding areas, a dominant female (mare) leads the way. The zebra is able to survive eating tougher grasses that many other species of animals are unable to digest. As it feeds on the grasses, the zebra opens up the grassland, benefiting other animals, like gazelles, that are looking for more tender vegetation growing closer to the ground.

Fun Facts

Classification

Class: Mammalia

Order: Perissodactyla

Family: Equidae

Genus: Equus

Species: E. Quagga

Habitat

These animals prefer living in savanna woodlands and grasslands. The mountain variety lives in rocky mountainous areas.