Grevy's zebra

The largest of all zebras, the Grevy's zebra is named after former President of France, Jules Grévy, who received a zebra as a gift from the King of Abyssinia (present-day Ethiopia) in 1882. A French zoologist discovered it was distinct species in itself and named it after President Grevy.

Stallions of this species mark and maintain territories using middens (dung piles). The Grevy's zebra is distinguished from other zebras by its round ears, white underbelly and the bullseye stripe pattern on its rump.

Though none have been proven conclusively, several theories attempt to explain the zebra’s stripes. The first states that stripes have an anti-predatory function by creating an “optical illusion”. The second points to a social role — each zebra is identifiable by its stripes and zebras with broader stripes receive more grooming. The third suggests the stripes help in thermoregulation and work as natural sunscreen. The last says they may protect against tsetse flies.

Zebras are thought to have white coats and black stripes, drawn from observations that the underside of their belly and the inside of their legs are white. However, some zebras with genetic variations have a black coat with white stripes. Beneath their striped coat, zebras have black skin.

Zebras are the first to move in during grass succession. By clipping away old growth and stems, they encourage the growth of young shoots. This opens up grazing opportunities for other animals like the wildebeests and gazelles, which are more picky about their food. Zebra herds leave the grazing area during the dry season. Their trampling of the land stimulates grass growth and increases the quantity and quality of vegetation for animal herds coming after them.