Africa's Endangered Species
The Mountain Zebra (Equus zebra)
Cape mountain zebras, Samara Game Reserve, SA
Description
- Mamal
- Weigh up to 240-372 kg
- Black and white striped.
- Head and body length between 210-260 cm.
- Herbivore.
Adapting
- Zebras will adapt to their environment as long as there is a decent food and water source nearby.
- They can make of what food and water there is, and if the habitat becomes uncomfortable, then the zebra will travel until it comes upon suitable spot to inhabit.
- It does later get hard to find places because people have farms and livestock around.
- Have hooves that are capable of climbing mountains.
- When attacked, if a zebra in the herd gets injured, the zebras move in a circle around the injured, confusing the attacker.
Habitat
- Live in the reigons of Namibia and rest of South Africa.
- Found in mountains ranges 6,560 feet high, but move lower during winter.
- Live in mountain ranges with rich grass plains and large water sources.
- This gives the mountain zebra its name.
Food Chain: Predators
Hyenas
Mountain zebras are considered to be prey for hyenas.
Cheetahs
Cheetahs see zebras as a less important prey to hunt.
Lions
Like the hyenas, mountain zebras are important prey to lions.
- Other predators are hunting dogs and leopards. They don't hunt zebras as much as lions and hyenas do. Cheetahs, leopards, and hunting dogs are not too much to worry about. Zebras are confident of safety when in a herd up to five or more zebras.
- Mountain zebras eat grass, leaves, bark, wood, grains, seeds, and nuts as their main diet. They must eat a large quantity of food to meet their daily nutrition requirement.
Why are the muontain zebras endangered?
Mountain zebras were endangered because people have hunted them for its skin. People set up farms and live stock over water sources, preventing the zebras from drinking any water. Zebras commonly die of thirst. Predators in Africa stalk mountain zebras at its home or when it is looking for a place to live.
Credits
-Video credits to Ian Parsons for finding these zebras and catching them on camera.
-Photos from photopin.com.
Save the Zebras of the African Mountains!
Links to group members
- Br Pr- https://smore.com/4x2z
- El Pr- https://smore.com/4qss
- Bh Ma- https://smore.com/uf2u
- Citations- https://smore.com/mmtp