During certain times of the year, these groups gather together to form loosely associated herds of up to several hundred, but the family groups still stay together within these larger groups. Zebras communicate with one another with facial expressions and sounds. They make loud braying or barking sounds and soft snorts and whuffs. The position of their ears, how wide open their eyes are, and whether their mouths are open or their teeth are bared all mean something. Ears flat back, for example, means trouble, or you better follow orders!
Zebras also reinforce their bonds by grooming each other. You might see two zebras standing head to back, apparently biting each other, but they are really only nibbling on each other with their teeth to pull out loose hair and get a good scratch. Like domestic horses, zebras put a good deal of energy into raising their offspring.
Zebra foals have soft, fuzzy fur, and their stripes are usually brown and white at first. This is important, since the mare needs to move with the herd to find food and water. She cannot leave the foal behind, so it must be up and running quickly in order to stay with the family. Foals must be able to recognize their mother from birth in order to survive. Mares usually do not adopt other foals, so there would be no chance of getting food from anyone but Mom.
Mothers often separate from the herd a short distance so that their foals can imprint on them. Once the foal can readily identify its mother, the mare and her foal return to the herd for protection. With a wild population of about 25,, the mountain zebra is classified as threatened. The Cape mountain zebra came very close to extinction as a result of hunting and competition with domestic cattle.
Their numbers have now increased to several hundred, with the majority still in the national park. As of August , we have had Grevy's zebra births at our facilities. You can help, too. By supporting San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, you are our ally in saving and protecting wildlife worldwide.
Main menu. Search form Search. And their most famous feature? Their brilliant black-and-white striped coat , of course! Their teeth are well adapted for grazing, with sharp incisors at the front of their mouth to bite the grass, and large molars at the back for crushing and grinding.
They may team up with other grazers on their travels, too, such as antelope and wildebeest. Stallions fight for females with piercing bites and powerful kicks that are strong enough to cause serious damage — and sometimes even kill! When under threat, these awesome animals form a semi-circle facing the attacker, and prepare to strike if need be. Mountain zebras are from 3. Plains zebras are 3. Though they all live in Africa, each species of zebra has its own home area.
Plains zebras live in the treeless grasslands and woodlands of eastern and southern Africa. The Grevy's zebra lives in in the arid grasslands of Ethiopia and northern Kenya.
The mountain zebra is found in South Africa, Namibia and Angola. Plains zebras and mountain zebras live in family groups led by a stallion, with several mares and offspring. Family groups known as harems sometimes get together to form loosely associated herds, according to the San Diego Zoo.
However, Grevy's zebras don't have herds. Instead, stallions establish territories and mares cross into them to breed and give birth.
Once the foals are old enough to travel, they and their mothers move on. Zebras have several ways they communicate with one another. Facial expressions, such as wide-open eyes or bared teeth, all mean something.
They also bark, bray, snort or huff to get their point across. Even the position of their ears can signal their feelings, according to the San Diego Zoo. For example, ears flattened back means trouble. Another habit of zebras is mutual grooming, which they do to strengthen their bonds with each other. Known predators of zebras include lions, leopards, cheetahs and hyenas. When danger approaches, the stallion will alert the others with a high-pitched snort, according to the University of Michigan.
He will stand his ground while the rest of the family runs away in zigzag fashion.
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