Zebras are African equines with distinctive black-and-white striped coats. There are three extant species: the Grévy's zebra (Equus grevyi), plains zebra (E. quagga) and the mountain zebra (E. zebra). Their stripes come in different patterns, unique to each individual. Several theories have been proposed for the function of these stripes, with most evidence supporting them as a form of protection from biting flies. Zebras share the genus Equus with horses and asses, and together they are the only living members of the family Equidae. Zebras belong to the subgenus Hippotigris. They inhabit eastern and southern Africa and can be found in a variety of habitats such as savannahs, grasslands, woodlands, shrublands and mountainous areas.
Zebras are primarily grazers and can subsist on lower-quality vegetation. They are preyed on mainly by lions and typically flee when threatened but also bite and kick. Zebra species differ in social behaviour, with plains and mountain zebra living in stable harems consisting of an adult male or stallion, several adult females or mares, and their young or foals; while Grévy's zebra live alone or in loosely associated herds. In harem-holding species, adult females mate only with their harem stallion, while male Grévy's zebras establish territories which attract females and the species is promiscuous. Zebras communicate with various vocalisations, body postures and facial expressions. Social grooming strengthens social bonds in plains and mountain zebras.
A zebra's dazzling stripes make them among the most recognisable mammal. They have been featured in art and stories in Africa and beyond. Historically, they have been highly sought after by exotic animal collectors, but unlike horses and donkeys, zebras have never been truly domesticated. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the Grévy's zebra as endangered, the mountain zebra as vulnerable and the plains zebra as near-threatened. The quagga, a type of plains zebra, was driven to extinction in the 19th century. Nevertheless, zebras can be found in numerous protected areas.
Different zebras have different habitats: Grevy’s zebras live in semi-arid grassland habitat in Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia. Mountain zebras, as their name implies, inhabit rocky, arid slopes in Namibia and Angola. Plains zebras, which are the most abundant of the three zebra species, are found from the grasslands of East Africa to the scrubby woodlands of southern Africa. They are one of Africa’s most successful and adaptable large herbivores. A subspecies of the plains zebra, the Grant’s zebra, is famous for its spectacular migrations during the rainy season in the Serengeti, when as many as 10,000 of these animals can be seen journeying together in congregated herds.
Zebras are herbivores and feed mostly by grazing on grasses, although they also might browse a bit on the leaves and stems of bushes. They graze for many hours each day, using their strong front teeth to clip off the tips of the grass. Their back teeth then crush and grind the food. Spending so much time chewing wears the teeth down, so those teeth keep growing all their lives.
As the dry season arrives and the grasses die back, zebra herds travel to find more food and water holes for dri
Female zebras give birth at any time of the year, and zebra females bear their young for a period ranging between 12 and 14 months, and young zebras are called foals and upon birth, foals weigh about 25 to 40 kg, and soon after birth, foals are able to stand Walking and movement, and the zebra cubs get full nutrition from their mother's milk and continue to feed throughout their first year, in addition to eating juicy herbs several days after their birth, and their weight doubles within several weeks of their birth, and they join the herd that provides protection from predators . A zebra becomes fully mature at 3 to 6 years old and has an estimated lifespan of 25 years
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.
Zebra 
