Description

Integumentary

The Grevy's Zebra has narrow brown stripes that cover most of it's body.These stripes are unique like a human's fingerprint. They have a white belly and thick furry ears similar to a donkey. They grow to be between 4-5 feet and 780-950 pounds on average.

Skeletal

Similar to horses and donkeys, grevy's zebras have hooves.They have long necks. large heads, and are the tallest of all zebras.

Classification

Common Name: Grevy's Zebra 

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Perissodactyla

Family: Equidae

Genus Species: Equus Grevyi

Habitat

The Grevy's Zebra lives in semi- arid scrubs and grasslands/savannas where their main food source grows. They are said to be found only in the Somali Arid Zone located in Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya.

Nutrition

The Grevy's Zebra gets its energy from the grass it consumes.It is a grazer that can digest much more grass and plants than cattle and it depends heavily on water. Cheetahs hunt the Grevy's Zebra, and lions often prey on cheetah cubs.

Reproduction

Reproduction Type: R

After a 12-13 month gestation period, a foul typically stays with its mother for 2-3 years. When the female Grevy's Zebra is 3-4 years old, she will begin mating on her own. When a male zebra or stallion is 5-6, he will also begin mating. This is a year round process and on average the zebra will reproduce between every 18-24 months.

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO OF MATING PROCESS

Role in Ecosystem

The Grevy's Zebra is a herbivore who lives around lions, cheetahs, giraffes, rabbits, and various other grassland creatures. It does not eat any of those organisms, only grass, but it can sometimes be eaten by bigger predators such as the cheetah, leopard, hunting dog, and hyena.

Threats/Solution

The zebras are being poached by humans for their hides and are also competing with other organisms for water. Because of this,destruction of habitiat, and natural predation, the zebras are growing extinct at a rapid pace.The AWF has stepped in to help but I feel that more could be done. We must strictly ban poaching and ensure that NOBODY is getting away with it. It may also be beneficial to provide a source of water for the Grevy's Zebras to access so that there is less competition.