Burchell's zebra (Equus quagga burchellii) at Etosha National Park, Namibia
Conservation status
Near Threatened (IUCN 3.1)[2]
Scientific classification
Domain:
Eukaryota
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Mammalia
Order:
Perissodactyla
Family:
Equidae
Genus:
Equus
Subgenus:
Hippotigris
Species:
E. quagga
Binomial name
Equus quagga
Boddaert, 1785
Subspecies
E. q. quagga † E. q. burchellii E. q. boehmi E. q. borensis E. q. chapmani E. q. crawshayi E. q. selousi
Plains zebra range
Synonyms[2]
Equus burchelli (Gray, 1824) [orth. error]
Equus burchellii Schinz, 1845
The plains zebra (Equus quagga, formerly Equus burchellii) is the most common and geographically widespread species of zebra. Its range is fragmented, but spans much of southern and eastern Africa south of the Sahara. Six or seven subspecies have been recognised, including the extinct quagga which was thought to be a separate species. More recent research supports variations in zebra populations being clines rather than subspecies.
Plains zebras are intermediate in size between the larger Grévy's zebra and the smaller mountain zebra and tend to have broader stripes than both. Great variation in coat patterns exists between clines and individuals. The plains zebra's habitat is generally, but not exclusively, treeless grasslands and savanna woodlands, both tropical and temperate. They generally avoid desert, dense rainforest and permanent wetlands. Zebras are preyed upon by lions and spotted hyenas, Nile crocodiles and, to a lesser extent, leopards, cheetahs and African wild dogs.
Plains zebras are a highly social species, forming harems with a single stallion, several mares and their recent offspring; bachelor groups also form. Groups may come together to form herds. The animals keep watch for predators; they bark or snort when they see a predator and the harem stallion attacks predators to defend his harem.
The plains zebra remains common in game reserves, but is threatened by human activities such as hunting for its meat and hide, as well as competition with livestock and encroachment by farming on much of its habitat, and is listed as near threatened by the IUCN as of 2016. The species population is stable and not endangered, though populations in most countries have declined sharply.
^"Fossilworks: Equus quagga".
^ abKing, S.R.B.; Moehlman, P.D. (2016). "Equus quagga". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T41013A45172424. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T41013A45172424.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
The plainszebra (Equus quagga, formerly Equus burchellii) is the most common and geographically widespread species of zebra. Its range is fragmented,...
three living species: Grévy's zebra (Equus grevyi), the plainszebra (E. quagga), and the mountain zebra (E. zebra). Zebras share the genus Equus with horses...
(/ˈkwɑːxɑː/ or /ˈkwæɡə/) (Equus quagga quagga) is an extinct subspecies of the plainszebra that was endemic to South Africa until it was hunted to extinction in...
mountain zebra (Equus zebra) is a zebra species in the family Equidae, native to southwestern Africa. There are two subspecies, the Cape mountain zebra (E....
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selective-breeding to recreate the extinct quagga, a close relative of the plainszebra. The film premiered at the TIFF on September 8 2013, and was released...
in the bred-back tarpan. In the plainszebra, the dorsal stripe is narrow and edged by white, while in Grevy's zebra, it is quite bold. The dorsal stripes...
mauritanicus has in the past been considered synonymous with the living plainszebra (E. quagga), but examination of several skulls show it to be distinct...
The maneless zebra (Equus quagga borensis) is a subspecies of the plainszebra spread over the northern parts of eastern Africa. It ranges in northwestern...
Kirk DeMicco and Du Chau. The film tells the story of Stripes, a circus plainszebra who is accidentally abandoned in Kentucky and raised on a farm next to...
mountain zebras, it is medium-sized, thinner with narrower hooves than the common plainszebra, and has a white belly like the Grévy's zebra. The Cape...
museum specimens identified as Cape zebras and concluded that all specimens tested clustered within the plainszebra, Equus quagga, with E. q. quagga and...
produced by breeding a male zebra to a female donkey. Zebra hinny, zebret and zebrinny all refer to the cross of a female zebra with a male donkey. Zebrinnies...
Taronga Western Plains Zoo, formerly known as (and still commonly referred to as) Western Plains Zoo and commonly known as Dubbo Zoo, is a large zoo near...
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