Finally, the Reason Why Zebras Have Stripes Revealed

Zebras are animals which are related to horses and donkeys. Around the world there are three types of zebras: the plains zebra, Grevy’s zebra and the mountain zebra. They are known for their stripes.

We go to zoos to see zebras, but they live in the savannahs of Africa in their nature environment. 

Their Latin name is Equus quagga.

Zebras are herbivore animals. That means they eat grass and other different plants. The biggest predators of zebra are big wild cats like the lion, and also hyenas.

The most unusual thing about zebras are their stripes. Why do zebras have stripes?

Believe it or not, there are three reasons why zebras have stripes: to hide from the predator, to recognize each other in the wilderness and to regulate their body temperature.

Maybe it sounds unreal, but stripes really do regulate the animal’s body temperature. They help them stay cool.  The white and black stripe reflect the light from the sun, thus lowering the adsorbed heat. This way zebras can lower their body temperature about 5 degrees.

So, their stripes helped them survive and stay in the very warm environments. Interestingly, zebras that live in warmer environments have more stripes then zebras which live in cooler environments.

All zebras have different stripe patterns which helps them recognize each other. The young zebra recognizes its mother by its stripes.

Now it’s time for impressing others with your knowledge about zebras. J