Zebras are the animals of a group of ungulates that are represented by a small group. Horses and wild donkeys are the closest relatives of zebras, and tapirs and rhinoceroses are their more distant ancestors.
The animal has a restless and malicious disposition, it is very difficult to tame. Up to three years the female takes care of her baby.
Giving offspring zebras can all year round, butThe most favorable period is the rainy season. Stallions, who lead the herds, protect their herds from lonely males during the rut. Often there are marriage fights, mostly they are of a ritual character, during which the males, standing on their hind legs, hit each other with hoofs.
To the appearance of the baby, the body matures it only three years after birth. The young zebras appear every three years. Reproductive abilities in a zebra persist until the age of eighteen.
Zebra gives birth to only one, but very large anddeveloped baby. Many, and especially children, often ask: is the zebra baby called? A zebrenock or a zebrik? In fact, it is called a foal, and a few cubs are foals.
The born baby weighs 30 kg, and after about 10 minutes the newborn stands on its own. After 20 can begin to walk, and after 40 minutes already jumping near the mother.
After birth, the mother blocks her baby from other zebras so that he can remember his mother's unusual pattern and could not mix it with other animals.
In case of threat, she hides him in the herd, where the rest of the zebra helps her to protect the baby. Despite this, half of the newborn foals die from predators: lions, hyenas and crocodiles.
Newborn zebra babies have a brown or black color. Specific bands appear four months after birth.
Years later, the mare or stallion becomes an adult and leaves the mother.
Zebras can be found only in Africa.They exist only 3 types: savanna, plain and mountain, the names correspond to their permanent place of residence. Quagga is the fourth species that was exterminated by man before the beginning of the twentieth century.
Life expectancy of zebra at will is up to 30 years.In zoological gardens, animals can live to the age of forty. They perfectly adapt to life in the zoo and give offspring. So, in one of the zoos in England, a zebra named Nadin gave birth to a baby for the first time in front of the visitors. Everything happened calmly and quickly. But the name of the baby zebra Nadine, until you could not find out.
Individuals of the family herd identify their relativeseven at a great distance by smell, voice and striped patterns. The young zebras are always under the care of the herd. Animals communicate with each other with barking sounds and neighing.
The zebra is a very voracious animal.They eat a huge amount of plant food. In the course there is everything: various grass, bushes, twigs and bark of trees, leaves. After such a plentiful meal, they drink up to 10 liters of water a day, often visit watering holes.
The zebra is a hardy animal, runs around pretty fast, knows how to stand up for himself, but a child who is often born can not protect against predators.
