There’s a lot you might not know about these African members of the horse family. Let’s explore!

1. STRIPES ARE MORE THAN JUST DECORATION.

A group of zebras is called a dazzle. You can see why: All those stripes look dazzling! But there’s more to their stripes than that. Check out these zebras. See how different they look? Their stripes are like fingerprints—no two zebras have the same pattern.

But why do zebras have stripes? Black and white hairs cover the all-black skin underneath. People have wondered about the purpose of those stripes for a long time.

Most scientists now believe that the stripes are an insect repellent. Biting flies in Africa are more than just annoying. They can spread deadly diseases. Scientists studied how flies interacted with zebras and domestic horses. They even dressed up a horse in a black-and-white striped wrap! Far fewer flies landed on the animals with the fake stripes. Scientists believe the stripes may confuse the flies, making it hard for them to land. So, stripes are good for a zebra’s health!

 

2. ZEBRAS LIKE TO HANG OUT TOGETHER

Togetherness is the name of the game for zebras. They form small family groups made up of several females, or mares, their young, and an adult male, or stallion. Most family groups merge into large herds, especially when they migrate in search of food. Living together is safer for zebras: It means more eyes and ears are watching and listening for predators, such as lions or hyenas.

3. ZEBRAS HANG OUT WITH ALL KINDS OF CREATURES

You don’t need stripes to hang out with the zebra gang! Zebras often gather with other African animals: giraffes, ostriches, and especially the creatures seen here: wildebeests (WIHL-duh-beests). These big antelopes have a special relationship with zebras. When eating, zebras gobble up the taller, tougher grasses. This uncovers the softer, juicier grasses near the ground that the wildebeests like. Also, both kinds of animals look out for danger, so they help keep each other safe.

Smaller neighbors may hitch a ride on a zebra. Oxpeckers are birds that feast on the ticks and other biting critters that crawl on zebras. But sometimes these birds feed on zebra blood, too.

4. ZEBRAS GET DIRTY TO STAY CLEAN

Oxpeckers help get rid of biting pests, but zebras have other tricks to stay clean. One of these tricks: rolling in dirt! Rolling around pushes sand and dirt through a zebra’s coat, rubbing off dead skin and removing ticks, biting insects, and other pests. Zebras also keep each other clean, nibbling the dirt and pests from one another’s coats.

5. MALE ZEBRAS FIGHT

Zebras aren’t always peaceful grazers. When it’s time to decide who’s in charge, male zebras can get violent toward each other. They bite, push, kick, and rear up on their hind legs. Zebras also can be fierce when confronting predators. A kick from a zebra’s back legs can injure—or even kill—a lion!

6. ZEBRAS ARE NOISY

Zebras make lots of sounds to “talk” to each other. They bark to greet each other or to get another zebra’s attention. It sounds like the barks of an extremely excited small dog. A bray is a sound that starts out as a deep growl and ends up sounding like a squealing pig. Zebras use this to call a mate or when angry.

7. ONE HOUR AFTER BIRTH, ZEBRAS CAN RUN.

A baby zebra (foal) can stand up on its own just a few minutes after being born. Not long after that, it’s already zipping around! There’s a good reason for this: There are lots of predators lurking that might want to make a meal out of a newborn foal. Being able to run with the herd is key to survival!

8. NOT ALL ZEBRAS ARE THE SAME.

The photos in this story so far have been of plains zebras. But there are three different zebra species. Meet them all!

MOUNTAIN:

• Can be found as high as 6,600 feet.
• Don’t gather in large herds as other zebras do.
  

GREVY’S:

• Tallest kind of zebra.
• Is endangered.

PLAINS: 

• Most common zebra.
• Has the widest stripes