Mammal. Zebras are members of the horse family, Equus. They live in family groups of more than a dozen zebras with one stallion as head. While zebras' stripes may look the same to us, each has a unique pattern that can be recognized by other family members. When zebras run as a herd, the stripes help protect them by confusing predators with a dizzying display. Zebras sleep in shifts, so that some members of the herd are always awake and alert. The leader uses sounds to signal when all is safe or when a threat occurs. Even though they weigh from 227 to 272 km (500 to 600 lb), zebras can run 64 km (40 mi) per hour.

Scientific
Name

Lifespan

Equus burchelli boehmi

28 years

Diet

Herbivore. Grasses.

Predators and Threats

Lions are their major predators; others are hyenas, wild dogs, leopards, and cheetahs.

Habitat

Grasslands, savannah, some mountainous regions, tall grasses; Northern Zimbabwe to the Sudan in East Africa.