Grevy's zebra
Latin Name
Equus grevyi
Class
Mammals
Order
Perissodactyla
Description
Equus grevyi
Class
Mammals
Order
Perissodactyla
Description
Like all zebras, the Grevy's zebra has a coat consisting of alternating black and white stripes. It's the largest zebra species, with adults standing up to five feet tall at the shoulder and weighing up to 900 pounds. The belly and hindquarters are white, and the animal's mane stands erect from head to shoulders.
Range
Status
Habitat
Niche
Life History
Special Adaptations
The Grevy's zebra is native to eastern Africa, where it ranges from Ethiopia to Kenya.
Status
The Grevy's zebra is endangered in the wild due to hunting and habitat loss. Lincoln Park Zoo participates in the Grevy's Zebra Species Survival Plan®, a shared conservation effort by zoos throughout the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
Habitat
Open grasslands and desert make up the species' habitat. The Grevy's zebra has adapted to dry circumstances, requiring less water than other zebra species.
Niche
Grasses make up the majority of this herbivore's diet, although it will also feed on fruits and bark.
Life History
Grevy's zebras don't live in permanent herds. Instead, they gather in temporary, fluid groups on the savanna. Females can breed year-round and give birth to single calves after a gestation period lasting more than a year. Calves can stand within minutes of birth and run short distances within an hour, a useful adaptation for keeping up with their mothers on the plains.
Special Adaptations
The Grevy's zebra's stripes act as a kind of camouflage, making it difficult for predators to spot them within the grasses and twigs that make up their habitat.
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