A 2013 phylogenetic study found that the plains zebra is more closely related to Grévy's zebras than mountain zebras. Groves and Bell (2004) placed all three species in the subgenus Hippotigris. Smith, 1841) in contrast to the Grévy's zebra which was considered the sole species of subgenus Dolichohippus (Heller, 1912). The plains zebra and mountain zebra were traditionally placed in the subgenus Hippotigris (C. These three groups are the only living members of the family Equidae. Zebras are classified in the genus Equus (known as equines) along with horses and asses. Taxonomyįurther information: Evolution of the horse The pronunciation with a long initial vowel remains standard in North American English. The word zebra was traditionally pronounced with a long initial vowel, but over the course of the 20th century the pronunciation with the short initial vowel became the norm in the dialects of English outside North America. In ancient times, the African zebra was called hippotigris ('horse tiger') by the Greeks and Romans. In 1591, Italian explorer Filippo Pigafetta recorded 'zebra' being used to refer to the African animals by Portuguese visitors to the continent. Equiferus appears to have entered into Portuguese as ezebro or zebro, which was originally used for a legendary equine in the wilds of the Iberian Peninsula during the Middle Ages. Its origins may lie in the Latin equiferus, meaning 'wild horse'. The English name 'zebra' derives from Italian, Spanish or Portuguese. Nevertheless, zebras can be found in numerous protected areas. quagga quagga), a type of plains zebra, was driven to extinction in the 19th century. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the Grévy's zebra as endangered, the mountain zebra as vulnerable and the plains zebra as near-threatened. Historically, they have been highly sought after by exotic animal collectors, but unlike horses and donkeys, zebras have never been truly domesticated. They have been featured in art and stories in Africa and beyond. Zebras' dazzling stripes make them among the most recognisable mammals. Social grooming strengthens social bonds in plains and mountain zebras. Zebras communicate with various vocalisations, body postures and facial expressions. In harem-holding species, adult females mate only with their harem stallion, while male Grévy's zebras establish territories which attract females and the species is promiscuous. Zebra species differ in social behaviour, with plains and mountain zebra living in stable harems consisting of an adult male or stallion, several adult females or mares, and their young or foals while Grévy's zebra live alone or in loosely associated herds. They are preyed on mainly by lions, and typically flee when threatened but also bite and kick. Zebras are primarily grazers and can subsist on lower-quality vegetation. Zebras inhabit eastern and southern Africa and can be found in a variety of habitats such as savannahs, grasslands, woodlands, shrublands, and mountainous areas.

Several theories have been proposed for the function of these stripes, with most evidence supporting them as a deterrent for biting flies.

Zebra stripes come in different patterns, unique to each individual. Zebras share the genus Equus with horses and asses, the three groups being the only living members of the family Equidae. There are three living species: the Grévy's zebra ( Equus grevyi), plains zebra ( E. Zebras ( US: / ˈ z iː b r ə z/, UK: / ˈ z ɛ b r ə z, ˈ z iː-/) (subgenus Hippotigris) are African equines with distinctive black-and-white striped coats. Modern range of the three living zebra species A herd of plains zebras ( Equus quagga) in the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania

Zebra hides