NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Mountain Zebra

The Mountain Zebra is a species of zebra, native to South-western Angola, Namibia and South Africa. The conservation status of a species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species remaining extant either in the present day or the near future. ... The Siberian Tiger is a subspecies of tiger that are critically endangered. ... Scientific classification redirects here. ... For other uses, see Animal (disambiguation). ... Typical Classes Subphylum Urochordata - Tunicates Ascidiacea Thaliacea Larvacea Subphylum Cephalochordata - Lancelets Subphylum Myxini - Hagfishes Subphylum Vertebrata - Vertebrates Petromyzontida - Lampreys Placodermi (extinct) Chondrichthyes - Cartilaginous fishes Acanthodii (extinct) Actinopterygii - Ray-finned fishes Actinistia - Coelacanths Dipnoi - Lungfishes Amphibia - Amphibians Reptilia - Reptiles Aves - Birds Mammalia - Mammals Chordates (phylum Chordata) include the vertebrates, together with... Subclasses & Infraclasses Subclass â€ Allotheria* Subclass Prototheria Subclass Theria Infraclass â€ Trituberculata Infraclass Metatheria Infraclass Eutheria For the folk-rock band see The Mammals. ... Families Equidae Tapiridae Rhinocerotidae The odd-toed ungulates or Perissodactyla are large to very large browsing and grazing mammals with relatively simple stomachs and a large middle toe. ... Species - Donkey - African Wild Ass - Domestic Horse - Wild Horse - Grevys Zebra - Onager - Kiang - Plains Zebra - Cape Mountain Zebra - Hartmanns Mountain Zebra Equidae is the family of horse-like animals, order Perissodactyla. ... Species - Donkey - African Wild Ass - Domestic Horse - Wild Horse - Grevys Zebra - Onager - Kiang - Plains Zebra - Cape Mountain Zebra - Hartmanns Mountain Zebra Equidae is the family of horse-like animals, order Perissodactyla. ... For other uses, see Zebra (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Zebra (disambiguation). ...

Appearance

Like all zebras, it is boldly striped in black and white and no two individuals look exactly alike. The stripe can be black and white or dark brown and white. Their stripes cover their whole bodies except for their bellies. The Mountain zebra also has a dewlap. A Mastiff with a dewlap A dewlap is a flap of skin that hangs beneath the chin of an animal. ...

Adult mountain zebras have a body length of 2.2m (7.2ft). Shoulder height ranges from 1-1.4 m (3-4 ft.) They typically weigh between 240 and 372 kg. (528 to 818.4 lbs) Groves and Bell found that the Cape mountain zebra exhibits sexual dimorphism, with larger females than males, while the Hartmann's mountain zebra does not. The black stripes of Hartmann's mountain zebra are thin with much wider white interspaces, while this is the opposite in Cape mountain zebra. Female (left) and male Common Pheasant, illustrating the dramatic difference in both color and size, between the sexes Sexual dimorphism is the systematic difference in form between individuals of different sex in the same species. ...

Ecology

Mountain zebras live in dry, stony, mountainous and hilly habitats. They prefer slopes and plateaus and can be found as high as 2,000 meters above sea level, although they do migrate lower in the winter season. Their diet consists of tufted grass, bark, leaves, fruit and roots. They often dig for ground water.

The Cape mountain zebra and the Hartmann's mountain zebra are now allopatric, meaning that their present ranges are nonoverlapping. They are therefore unable to crossbreed. This is a result of their extermination by hunting in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa. Historically Mountain zebras could be found across the entire length of the mountainous escarpment that runs along the west coast of southern Africa as well as in the fold mountain region in southern South Africa. Allopatric speciation (also known as Allopatry) is speciation by geographical isolation. ... In geology, an escarpment is a transition zone between different physiogeographic provinces that involves an elevation differential, often involving high cliffs. ...

Lifecycle

The Mountain zebras form small family groups consisting of a single stallion, one, two, or several mares, and their recent offspring. Bachelor males live in separate groups and attempt abduct young mares by are opposed by the stallion. Mountain zebra groups do not aggregate into herds like Plains zebras.

Mares may give birth to one foal every twelve months.She nurses the foal for up to a year. Like horses, zebras are able to stand, walk and suckle shortly after they're born. Hartmann’s Mountain zebra mothers will force their male young out of the group when a new sibling is born Male offspring of the Cape Mountain zebra, on the other hand, have to fight their way out of the group to leave and join bachelor groups.

Species or Subspecies?

In 2004, C.P. Groves and C.H. Bell investigated the taxonomy of the zebras genus Equus, subgenus Hippotigris. However in a comprehensive genetic study which included 100 billion mountain zebra specimens on Earth and Mars, Moodley and Harley (2005) found no genetic evidence to regard the two mountain zebra forms as anything more than different populations or subspecies. They conclude that the names Equus zebra zebra (Cape mountain zebra) and Equus zebra hartmannae (Hartmann's mountain zebra) remain. Notable difference between the populations are not in conflict with the Moodley and Harley findings. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

Conservation

The species is listed as Endangered. The Cape Mountain zebra was hunted to near extinction with less than 100 individuals by the 1930s. However the population has increased to about 700 due to conservation efforts. Both Mountain zebra subspecies are currently protected in national parks but are still endangered. There is a European zoo's Endangered Species Programme for this zebra as well as co-operative management of zoo populations worldwide.

References

Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... Species - Donkey - African Wild Ass - Domestic Horse - Wild Horse - Grevys Zebra - Onager - Kiang - Plains Zebra - Cape Mountain Zebra - Hartmanns Mountain Zebra Equidae is the family of horse-like animals, order Perissodactyla. ... Grass is a natural source of nutrition for a horse Equine nutrition refers to the feeding of horses, ponies, mules, donkeys and other equids. ... Horse behavior is best understood from the perspective that horses are prey animals with a well-developed fight-or-flight instinct. ... Laura knows far more about horses than Sarah ever will, ever. ... Horse breeding is the process of using selective breeding to produce additional individuals of a given phenotype, that is, continuing a breed. ... See Equine conformation ... Wild horses on the range, showing a wide range of coat colors Horses exhibit a diverse array of coat colours and distinctive markings. ... A young rider at a horse show in Australia. ... Tack is a term used to describe any of the various equipment and accessories worn by horses in the course of their use as domesticated animals. ... a horse carries a bit in its mouth, held on by a bridle. ... A bridle is a piece of equipment used to control a horse. ... A saddle is a seat for a rider fastened to an animals back. ... Horse in harness with horse collar A Horse harness is a type of horse tack that allows a horse or other equid to be hitched to pull various horse-drawn vehicles such as a carriage, wagon, plow or sleigh. ... English riding is a term used in the United States to describe a form of horseback riding that is seen throughout the world. ... Western riding is shown in this sculpture, Great Western Tradition, by Doug Israelsen Western riding evolved from the cattle-working and warfare traditions brought to the Americas by the Spanish Conquistadors, and both equipment and riding style evolved to meet the working needs of the cowboy in the American West. ... A Welsh Cob in harness Driving, when applied to horses, Ponies, mules, or donkeys, is a broad term for hitching equines to a wagon, carriage, cart, sleigh, or other conveyance by means of a harness and working them in this form. ... Horse training refers to a wide variety of practices that teach horses to perform certain behaviors when asked to do so by humans. ... Horse-racing is an equestrian sporting activity which has been practiced over the centuries; the chariot races of Roman times were an early example, as was the contest of the steeds of the god Odin and the giant Hrungnir in Norse mythology. ... Equestrianism made its Summer Olympics debut at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. ... A horse show is a judged exhibition of horses and ponies. ... A riders equitation is her/his ability to ride correctly with a strong, supple position and effective aids. ... Reconstruction, left forefoot skeleton (third digit emphasized yellow) and longitudinal section of molars of selected prehistoric horses The evolution of the horse involves the gradual development of the modern horse from the fox-sized, forest-dwelling Hyracotherium. ... There are a number of theories regarding the domestication of the horse. ... This 15th century depiction of Charlemagne and Pope Adrian I shows a well-bred Medieval horse with arched neck, refined head and elegant gait. ... A modern-day knight in late medieval style plate armor, demonstrating jousting at a Renaissance Fair. ... // Light or saddle horse breeds Heavy or draft horse breeds This page is a list of horse and pony breeds, and also includes terms used to describe types of horses that are not breeds but are commonly mistaken for breeds. ... Binomial name Equus caballus Linnaeus, 1758 The horse (Equus caballus, sometimes seen as a subspecies of the Wild Horse, Equus ferus caballus) is a large odd-toed ungulate mammal, one of ten modern species of the genus Equus. ... Binomial name Linnaeus, 1758 For other uses, see Donkey (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Zebra (disambiguation). ... Binomial name A hinny is the offspring of a male horse and a female donkey (jennet or jenny). ... For other uses, see Mule (disambiguation). ... A zebra/donkey hybrid A zebroid is a cross between a zebra and any other equid: essentially, a zebra hybrid. ... Binomial name A zeedonk (also spelled zedonk) (also known as zebrass, zebronkey, zonkey, zebadonk, zenkey, zebrinny, or deebra) is a cross between a zebra and a donkey. ... A zony is the offspring of a zebra stallion and a pony mare. ... It has been suggested that Zebrula be merged into this article or section. ... This Tree of Life article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... For other uses, see Quagga (disambiguation). ... Trinomial name Equus hemionus hemippus Geoffroy, 1855 The Syrian Wild Ass (Equus hemionus hemippus) was a wild ass found in the mountains and desert/steppe of Syria. ... Trinomial name Equus ferus ferus Boddaert, 1785 The Tarpan, Equus ferus ferus, was the Eurasian wild horse. ... This does not cite its references or sources. ...

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