A mountain zebra’s body length is a little more than 7 feet. Their shoulder length is between 4 to 4-1/2 feet. Their tail length is 20 inches long. Mountain zebras weigh between 520 to 820 pounds. Mountain zebras have dark brown or black and white stripes. Their stripes are unique in that they are not identical to any other zebra. The stripes on their neck and torso are thin and really close together and go vertically. On the back, their stripes are wide and go horizontally. The stripes may go around the whole arm or leg. Their stomach is a creamy white color with a dark stripe going along it. Their ears have black and white patches.

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Mountain zebras use their big ears to let the heat out. They have skin that hangs from their neck which is called a dewlap. This is similar to human males Adam’s apple. The white fur on their body is used to reflect the light from the sun so they can keep cool. Mountain zebras use their stripes to blend in with one another and to stay away from predators. They learn how to behave without adult supervision in the wilderness.

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Mountain zebras are found in south-western Angola, Namibia, and South Africa. They live in small herds in places with hills or mountains or places that are dry and stony. Their hooves are hard and pointed, which makes them good climbers. Because of their hooves, they can be found at places as high as 6,500 feet above sea level. They make their living in these areas so they can avoid conflict.

Mountain zebras help the ecosystem because their main diet is grasses. And the grass seed get stuck to their bodies, which end up getting dispersed in other areas and thus creates habitat for smaller animals.

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In the 1930’s, the population of mountain zebras come close to extinction when they fell to less than 100 zebras. Many zebras were killed by hunters and many more were killed by farmers. Mountain zebras also lost their habitat because of competition with domestic livestock and the conversion to agriculture. But due to decades of conservation efforts, most recent figures indicate that there are more than 25,000 mountain zebras.

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As I indicated before, mountain zebras primarily eat grasses but they also eat leaves, wood, bark, seeds and nuts. They compete for food with other grazers such as giraffes and wildebeests. Since mountain zebras are friendly with the other grazing animals, they are able to eat alongside each other.

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However, predators such as lions, leopards, cheetahs and spotted hyenas like to hunt mountain zebras. To avoid being eaten, the lead stallion alerts its other members of danger with a snort or a high-pitched call. He will take a defensive position while the rest of the herd runs away. He will kick, pull his ears flat against his head, lash his tail, and lower his head with his teeth bared and his neck outstretched. Occasionally, mountain zebras fight their predators to avoid being eaten. Still, running is their best defense.

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What stood out the most to me was how the mountain zebras warn each other of predators. It’s cool how they kick, pull the ears flat on the head, lash the tail, and lower the head with their teeth bared and the neck outstretched. I’ve learned that there are three different types of zebras. There’s the Grevy’s zebra, the Plain’s zebra, and the Mountain zebra. The mountain zebra has three sub-species. I’ve also learned that they have a big role in their ecosystem. All of this stuff is really interesting.
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Author: Vanessa M.
Published: 05/2009
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Sources:
Encyclopedia of Mammals: “Zebras”, Marshall Corporation, 1997 pgs. 2449, 2450, 2456, 2457, 2462, 2463, 2465, 2466, 2468 World Book, 2005 World Book, Inc. “Zebras” pg. 587 http:/www.arkive.org/mountain-zebra/equus-zebra/threats-and-conservation.html http://www.answers.com/ http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Equus_zebra.html http://www.iucnredlist.org