Grevy’s Zebra

Grevy’s Zebra Habitat

Grevy’s Zebra Pictures

Currently, no subspecies of the Grevy’s zebra has been defined.

The Grevy’s zebra has such a social structure that is adapted well for the arid and dry plains and scrublands these equines mostly inhabit.  They move around in small groups consisting of mostly adults and communicate over long distances using donkey-like braying sounds/calls, associating with each other for only a few months at a time.

When the mating season comes, high competition between male individuals over mating rights can be noticed. The stallion members of the same group are seen getting belligerent with each other by means of rearing, pushing, biting.

In the group of these zebras, the females also possess a hierarchy; however, they have been seen getting involved in grooming each other in order to establish a good relationship.

The males of the species are highly territorial and display their leadership of a particular territory by marking them with piles of dung called ‘Midden’, as well as urine. The males usually lead a solitary life within their territories unless the female zebras pass through during mating.

The herbivorous Grevy’s zebras mainly thrive upon grasses; however, they would also consume bark, fruits, leaves, and other plant matters.

Grevy’s Zebra Photos

Grevy’s Zebra Baby

Reproduction and Life Cycle

After mating, the female Grevy’s zebras normally give birth to one single foal at a time, undergoing its gestation period of about 390 days. The mother zebras leave its herd prior to giving birth to the young in heavy brushes.

During the initial two days of the birth of the juvenile Grevy’s zebra, the mother zebra drives away other members of the group. As the baby begins to grow, they join the nursery group. The newborn young zebras orient on the rump and tail pattern of their respective mothers. Juveniles are weaned when they are around nine months old.

The female Grevy’s zebra babies become independent from their mothers between 13 and 18 months of age; however, the male babies continue living with their mother until they are about three years.

When the young zebras become independent, the adolescents move freely from one herd to the other. The mares attain the age of sexual maturity when they are around two to three years old, while stallions take almost six years.

Grevy’s Zebras

Images of Grevy’s Zebra

Adaptations

1. Because of the poor nutrient content in the plant matter in their range, the Grevy’s zebras have the ability to consume large volumes of food at a time.
2. Like many other zebra species, the long stripes across their bodies help them camouflage easily in the tall grasses of the savanna grasslands.
3. Apart from their excellent senses of hearing and taste, the Grevy’s zebras have very good eyesight even during nighttime. By evolution, they have developed a binocular vision to detect movements (and locate any danger easily, since they live in open grasslands where there are fewer places to hide).

Predators

The primary enemies of these equids are lions, hyenas, African wild dogs, and humans. However, the African hunting dogs, cheetahs, and leopards also attack the juveniles, though they almost never attack the adults.

Conservation Status

With their declining population, the IUCN 3.1 has enlisted the Grevy’s zebra under their ‘EN’ (Endangered) list.

Grevy’s Zebra Skull

Grevy’s Zebra Size

Interesting Facts

• • The gestation period of the Grevy’s zebra is the longest of any equine species.

• • The species is considered to have gone extinct in Somalia.

• • When seen from behind, these animals display a gleaming patch of white on both sides of their tails, which is why they are known as Loiborkurum (meaning “white-rumped”) in the local Samburu language.

• • These zebras spend about 60% of their day eating.

• The Grevy’s zebra has been named in honor of the president of France’s Third Republic, Jules Grevy, to whom the first known specimen of the equine was sent in 1882.

• Video

• References

  • 1. https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/grevys-zebra
    2. https://animalcorner.co.uk/animals/grevys-zebra/
    3. https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Equus_grevyi/#behavior
    4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gr%C3%A9vy’s_zebra