Each Species of Zebras Actually Have Very Different Personalities

Here's how to read "between the lines" and tell the three species of zebras apart.

Transcript

00:00What's black and white and interesting all over?

00:05The zebra!

00:07These striped members of the horse family live in herds in Africa

00:11and have lots of things in common with their domestic cousins.

00:15A large head, sturdy neck, a stripe along the spine, a tassel tail, and a bristly mane.

00:25There are three different species.

00:28The grevy zebra, the plain zebra, and the mountain zebra.

00:34And while at first glance they may all look alike,

00:37if you read between the lines, you'll see a difference.

00:41Grevy zebras have the thinnest stripes that stop at their white belly.

00:46Plain zebras have the broadest stripes that extend down to and around their bellies.

00:52And mountain zebras have vertical stripes that gradually become wider, horizontal bars on their haunches.

00:57Let's take a look at the rear view and see if you can tell the difference.

01:02Here's the grevy zebra,

01:04the plain zebra,

01:06and this one's the mountain zebra.

01:10Everybody always wants to know,

01:12Is a zebra black with white stripes, or white with black stripes?

01:16Well, under all those stripes, a zebra's skin is black, but the coat itself is white with black stripes.

01:23But that's not all.

01:24A zebra's stripes are unique to each individual animal, much like a human fingerprint.

01:29Stripes serve as camouflage because their dizzying pattern makes it difficult for a predator to distinguish shapes and pick one out for dinner.

01:40Zebras can be found on the savannas of Africa, where you can be sure they're doing what they do best.

01:46Eat!

01:47They're called grazers because they spend up to 18 hours a day eating grass.

01:54But zebras really only eat the tips of the grass, so there's plenty left over for other herbivores or plant eaters.

02:02Female zebras are excellent mothers.

02:04A foal recognizes its mother by her scent, unique stripe pattern, and voice.

02:09Baby zebras are able to walk about 20 minutes after they're born, and within an hour, they're up and running with the herd.

02:20And that's a challenge, because an adult zebra can run at speeds of up to 35 miles per hour.

02:26It's very important that we help save these striped steeds.

02:30The mountain zebra is considered endangered, while the grevy zebra is critically endangered.

02:35We want zebras to stay the way they are, black and white and beautiful all over.

02:43No one wants them to disappear and become invisible.