Page 30 - World of Animals - Issue #30

Plains zebra

Inside the zebra

From its incredible striped hide to its mile- Strong stomach
long eyelashes, each and every part of a Though it’s a simple system, Large lungs
a zebra’s stomach contains
zebra’s body has evolved to help it dodge powerful enzymes that break Taking between eight and
14 breaths a minute, zebra
danger and thrive in its African habitat down the tough cellulose in lungs work hard to replace
grass into easily digestible carbon dioxide in the blood
molecules of simple sugars. with oxygen.
Who’s who? Bladder
The three species of zebra can be Pelvis Diaphragm
identified by their differing stripes

Plains zebra
Also called the common zebra, the
faint lines between the bold stripes
give this species away. It is found
across southern and eastern Africa.
Femur

Small intestine

Grevy’s zebra Large intestine Liver
Narrow, even stripes cover this
animal’s body. They are endangered
and only found in small, fragmented
populations in Kenya and Ethiopia.

Single-toed feet
The hoof is a modified Skinny legs

toe, and the leg bones Slim but super-strong, the
Mountain zebra are elongated to make muscular legs can propel
Capable of reaching 2,000 metres each stride longer and a zebra to run 64km/h
(6,500 feet) above sea level, nimble- to give the leg maximum (40mph) and deliver a kick
footed mountain zebras can be found capacity to swing. that can kill.
in Namibia and South Africa.

INFANCY JUVENILE MATURITY

Birth 0 weeks Bonding with baby 1-2 weeks Meeting the family 3 weeks Weaning 7-12 months Independence 1-2 years All grown up 1-2 years

Mobile as little as 10 Babies are kept away from the Soon the foal is united with the A er up to almost a full year of The young zebra prepares Females mature faster and
minutes a er birth, zebra herd initially to make sure they rest of its group, though spends suckling, the fast-growing foal begins to leave its mother. This are able to conceive a er

foals exit the womb recognise their mother by sight, most of its time following its to eat solid food in the form of grasses timing depends on when the just one year. Males can
shrouded in a placental sac. smell and sound. mother everywhere. like the common red oat grass. mother has her next foal. take four times as long.
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