January 31 is International Zebra Day. The holiday was initiated by environmental organizations, including the Smithsonian's National Institute of Zoology and Conservation Biology Institute.
The purpose of International Zebra Day is to help preserve these unique animals.
There are few striped animals on earth, and among the mammals of the Horse family, the zebra is one. The mystery of its stripes tormented many, put forward different versions. In recent years, researchers have decided to take this issue seriously.
Scientists have put forward many reasons (at least 18!) for the appearance of streaks on the skin of zebras, recent studies have focused on only three reasons: protection against insects, thermoregulation and protection against predators.
An interesting experiment was conducted at a British horse yard. A team of biologists from the University of California, along with British colleagues, studied the color of zebras, and put forward a theory – this is protection from insects. During the experiment, they disguised several domestic horses: threw on them blankets with stripes, like zebras, placed them in a unit with real zebras and began to watch them. And here is the result: on zebras and horses in striped blankets sat fewer horse-flies than on those who were not disguised. Insects tried to sit on the striped surface, but they could not slow down before landing. They just hit the surface and bounced off it.
There is another theory of scientists that zebra stripes are needed for thermoregulation. And they explain it this way: black stripes absorb heat in the morning, warming the animal, and white stripes better reflect sunlight and help the animal not to overheat while they graze in the sun.
Another hypothesis is that the stripes help the zebras to protect themselves from predators - predators cannot single out a single animal among a herd of striped animals and activate it.
Mykolaiv Zoo joins celebration of the International day of zebras.
We keep Chapman's zebras (Lat. Equus burchelli chapmani). This is a subspecies of plains zebra (Lat. Equus quagga). This is the most common species of zebra. There are 4 known subspecies, which differ well in the location of the stripes. Each subspecies has its own pattern.
There are four individuals living in our zoo: Bianca, Aladdin, Basar (offspring of Bianca and Aladdin, born in 2019) and a young female Panda.
It is interesting that Grant's zebras (Lat. Equus quagga boehmi) were kept in the old territory of the zoo. And in the new territory since 1977 Mykolaiv Zoo kept Chapman's zebras (Lat. Equus burchelli chapmani). For all history of the maintenance and reproduction of zebras in Mykolaiv Zoo in the new territory, 15 calves were born.
Keeping zebras in its collection, Mykolaiv Zoo does everything possible to provide them with good living conditions, thanks to which the animals feel good, have a good appetite, and successfully breed…
So visit the zoo to see the striped horses with your own eyes!