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ZEBRA

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Originally appearing in Volume V28, Page 962 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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ZEBRA , the name used for all the striped members of the See also:

horse-tribe, although properly applicable only to the true or See also:mountain zebra. The latter See also:species (Equus zebra) inhabits the mountainous regions of the Cape See also:Colony, where, owing to the advances of civilized See also:man into its restricted range it has become very scarce, and is even threatened with extermination, but it exists in the See also:form of a See also:local See also:race in See also:Angola. The second species, Burchell's zebra (Equus burchelli), is represented by a large number of local races, ranging from the plains See also:north of the See also:Orange See also:river to north-See also:east See also:Africa. Equus zebra is the smaller of the two (about 4 ft. high at the shoulders), and has longer ears, a tail more scantily clothed with See also:hair, and a shorter mane. The See also:general ground See also:colour is See also:white, and the stripes are See also:black; the See also:lower See also:part of the See also:face is See also:bright See also:brown. With the exception of the See also:abdomen and the inside of the thighs, the whole of the See also:surface is covered with stripes, the legs having narrow transverse bars reaching quite to the hoofs, and the See also:base of the tail being also barred. The outsides of the ears have a white tip and a broad black See also:mark occupying the greater part of the surface, but are white at the base. Perhaps the most See also:constant and obvious distinction between this species and the next is the arrangement of the stripes on the hinder part of the back, where there are a number of See also:short transverse bands reaching to the median See also:longitudinal dorsal stripe, and unconnected with the uppermost of the broad stripes which pass obliquely across the haunch from the flanks towards the See also:root of the tail. There is often a median longitudinal stripe under the See also:chest. Typically, Burchell's zebra, or the bonte-See also:quagga (Equus burchelli), is a rather larger and more robust See also:animal, with smaller ears, a longer mane, and See also:fuller tail. The general ground-colour of the See also:body is See also:pale yellowish brown, the limbs nearly white, the stripes dark brown or black. In the typical form the stripes do not extend on to the limbs or tail; but there is a See also:great variation in this respect, and as we proceed north the striping increases, till in the north-eastern E. burchelli granti the legs are striped to the hoofs.

There is a strongly marked median longitudinal ventral black stripe, to which the lower ends of the transverse See also:

side stripes are usually See also:united. but the dorsal stripe (also strongly marked) is completely isolated in its posterior See also:half, and the uppermost of the broad haunch stripes runs nearly parallel to it. A much larger proportion of the ears is white than in the other species. In the See also:middle of the wide intervals between the broad black stripes of the flanks and haunches fainter stripes are generally seen. It is closely allied to the quagga, but the typical form, in which the resemblance is closest, is See also:extinct. The Abyssinian and Somali See also:Grevy's zebra (E. grevyi) is markedly distinguished by its enormous ears and more numerous and narrower black stripes. The flesh of Burchell's zebra (or quagga, as it is often called) is relished by the natives as See also:food, and its hide is very valuable for See also:leather. Although the many attempts that have been made to break in and See also:train zebras for See also:riding and See also:driving have sometimes been rewarded with partial success, the animal has never been domesticated in the true sense of the word (see HORSE). (W. H. F.; R.

End of Article: ZEBRA

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