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Nearly Everything You Want to Know About Zebras

Finally, why zebras are all stripey … besides the camouflage thing.

“Zebra stripes evolved to keep biting flies at bay.”

Read all about it at BBC Nature.

http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/58391000/jpg/_58391196_dscf6956_gabor-horvath.jpg

And in case you’re wondering, zebras are black with white stripes.

Lisa Smith, Curator of Large Mammals at Zoo Atlanta, reports that the coat is “often described as black with white stripes.” This makes sense since the pattern is a result of pigment activation (black) and inhibition (white). That means black is the actual color of the fur, and the white patches are simply the areas that lack pigmentation. To top it off, most zebras have dark skin beneath their fur.

You can read more at HowStuffWorks.

Or Zebras against crocs … “The zebra’s wide rump gives it a big advantage. Adult zebras also have a vicious kick, which could break a crocodile’s jaw. That might mean starvation, so crocodiles are also taking risks.” (PBS Nova – Crocodile).

Or why zebras do not fall under the domesticated animals pool, so no, you can’t really ride a zebra (via ABC).

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5 April 2012 Science One Comment

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