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• Zebras are part of the horse (Equidae) family. They are known for their distinctive black and white stripes, which may have evolved as camouflage. Aside from their stripes, Zebras are known for their acute eyesight and hearing, a natural adaptation to avoid predators. Athough they are known to have high stamina, Zebras have not been widely domesticated, as have been horses—apparently due to their more skittish temperament.

• Fast Facts

  1. Natural grazers, and in constant search of green pastures
  2. Stripes are as distinctive as fingerprints are to a human
  3. A baby zebra is called a "foal"
  4. Acute senses for detecting predators
  5. Herds consist of 5-15, often mixing with antelopes

• Endangerment

  Although the common Plains Zebra, called the Grants zebra, maintains a high population, mountain and desert zebras are highly endangered. The desert zebra, known as Grevy's Zebra, has declined to a point that may be unsustainable in the face of poaching or natural disaster, while the two existing varieties of mountain zebra—the Hartman and Cape—are both classified as endangered, with the Cape zebra numbering less than 1000.

• Trivia

  1. The 2005 film Racing Stripes, featuring voice-overs from Snoop Dogg, Dustin Hoffman and others, is about an orphaned zebra that is adopted by a racehorse trainer.

• Related Mahalo Pages

  Endangered Species | Horse | Lions | Tigers | Wolves | Elephants | Rhinoceros

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