Plains ZebraEquus burchelli
Location, Habitat and Diet
Plains zebras are located in southern and eastern African countries such as Namibia, Zambia, Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique.
Plains zebra are migrators by nature, moving between food and water sources and especially between burnt veld. Home ranges are thus large, unstable and temporary.
Plains zebra
Equus burchellii
The most familiar of the striped members of the horse family, living in harems on the grasslands of Africa.
Subspecies
Three subspecies recognised.
The Burchell's Zebra (Equus burchelli) is also know as Plains Zebra. It is one of the characteristic large mammals that one may see when visiting game parks in much of southern Africa.
Plains Zebras are mid-sized and thick-bodied with relatively short legs. Adults of both sexes stand about 1.4 meters high at the shoulder, are approximately 2.3 meters long, and weigh about 230 kg.
Plains zebras are not in danger yet. They can eat coarse grass and are resistant to diseases that affect cattle, so as long as the African plains exist, so will the plains zebra. Two rarer species are in danger, however.
The Plains Zebra (Equus quagga, formerly Equus burchelli) is the most common, and has or had about twelve subspecies distributed across much of southern and eastern Africa.
The plains zebra grows to around 1.5m high and about 2 m long. The Grevy can be much taller, some up to 15 hh. The average zebra weighs around 300kg, which is a similar weight to a horse.
The common or plains zebra is still found in large numbers in sub-Saharan Africa. Their distinctive striped pattern may help confuse predators.
Giraffe ...
STATUS: The Plains Zebras are not an endangered or threatened species; however the Grevy and Mountain Zebras are very endangered because of loss of habitat and over hunting.
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By contrast, the Plains Zebra grazes and browses on the more lush plains and grasslands that run from the Horn of Africa southward along the eastern side of the continent, migrating as much as 700 miles to maintain ready access to water.
Living in herds the Plains zebra commonly mixes in with other animals like the Antlope,where there would be a tight-knit group consisting of a few mares and a stallion.
The plains zebras usually mix with other grazing animals, such as wildebeest and antelopes. They are swift runners, achieving speeds of up to 40 mph.
The Grant's zebra (Equus burchelli boehmi) is the most common of the plains zebra subspecies.
Family Equidae Equus Equus asinus African wild ass Equus burchellii Plains zebra, Burchell's zebra Equus caballus Przewalski's wild horse, domestic horse Equus grevyi Grevy's zebra Equus hemionus Asiatic wild ass, kulan Equus kiang Kiang, ...
Unlike the plentiful plains zebras, the Grevy's zebra is endangered. In 1977, there were about 15,200 Grevy's zebra remaining in the Horn of Africa countries of Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia.
They are one of several subspecies of plains zebras. Damara zebras are unique among the plains zebra subspecies because of their 'shadow stripes,' which are thinner gray lines alongside the black stripes.
These social animals were very closely related to modern-day plains zebras (Equus burchelli).
Up to half a million plains zebra and Thomson's gazelles often travel with the gnus. In November, the rains have resumed in the south and the green grasses of the North are depleted, the masses surge back to the fresh pastures.
There are three extant species of zebra, and they occur in Africa: plains zebra, mountain zebra and Grevy's zebra. Of all the wild equines in the world today, only the plains zebra exists in large numbers.
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The stripes on Grevy's zebras are more numerous and narrow than those of the plains zebra and do not extend to the belly.
Plains, or Common, Zebra (there are 4 kinds of Plains Zebra)
Body shape like a pony's. Wide black stripes stretch down to the belly. They are wider n the rump. Some have brownish stripes as well as black.
Common ...
Grant's Zebra
Common Names: Plains Zebra
Genus: Equus
Species: burchelli bohmi ...
Pluhacek, J., L. Bartos, L. Culik. 2006. High-ranking mares of captive plains zebras Equus burchelli have greater reproductive success than low-ranking mares. Applied Animal Behavior Science, 99: 315-329.
Zebra Types: There are three zebra species: the mountain zebra, the plains (or common) zebra, and the Grevy's zebra. The plains zebra includes six subspecies, and each differs in the pattern of their black and white stripes.
A denizen of extremely dry places, Grevy's zebras were once widespread in Africa and perhaps outside the continent. Some scientists think plains zebras (Equus burchelli) took their place after less arid savannas replaced more arid ones in many areas.
African Wild Ass Equus africanus
Onager or Asiatic Ass, Equus hemionus
Kiang or Tibetan Wild Ass, Equus kiang
Plains Zebra, Equus quagga
Mountain Zebra, Equus zebra ...
Buffalo, wildebeest, plains zebra, rhinos, giraffes, elephants and warthogs are among other herbivores of the African savanna. Carnivores include lions, leopards, cheetahs, jackals, wild dogs and hyenas.
Black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis)
Grevy's zebra (Equus grevyi)
White rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum)
Plains zebra (Equus quagga)
Quagga (Equus quagga quagga)
Javan rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus) ...
 See also: Zebra, Quagga, Donkey, Ass, Wild Ass
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