Of all the creatures in the animal kingdom,
one of the most easily recognizable is the zebra. But what’s the reason for this famous black
and white striped pattern? Are zebras black with white stripes, or white
with black stripes? Stick around as we answer these questions
and learn all about zebras and why they have stripes. What is a Zebra? Just like their closest relatives, horses,
and donkeys, zebras belong to the genus Equus. A full-grown zebra will weigh from 600 to
1000 pounds, depending on its gender and species. Zebras are native to southern and eastern
Africa. Most zebras live in the grassy plains, with
the exception of the mountain zebra, which can sometimes be found on mountain slopes
of southwest Africa. But no matter what sub-species or where they’re
located, zebras all have one thing in common. Stripes. Zebra Stripes It's easy to look at a zebra and assume that
it's a white animal with black stripes. After all, the black stripes stop at the zebra’s
belly and inner thighs, right? Science has confirmed that the opposite is
actually true. Underneath those stripes is a black-colored
skin, and the white stripes are lines of fur that contain no pigment. But this isn’t a fashion show, and if you’re
a zebra in the African grasslands, your stripes are going to stick out like a sore thumb. Why Stripes? Since the discovery of the zebra, experts
have always been puzzled by the pattern of stripes worn by this species. At first, it was thought that a large herd
of zebras could confuse a predator into thinking that the large group of black and white was
one animal, thus discouraging an attack. But there are no shortage of zebra attacks
by Africa’s predators, so this hypothesis is yet to be fully confirmed. Another theory is that the black and white
stripes help an animal to thermoregulate. The black absorbs sunlight and the white reflects
it, which will help a zebra to keep its core temperature at a comfortable level. However, recreation of this theory hasn’t
been that successful either, leading to a split opinion about whether or not it is true. One hypothesis that can be confirmed by science
is that the stripes help ward off harmful bugs and flies. Africa is home to a number of insects and
biting horseflies that carry deadly diseases. Its been shown that the stripes on a zebra
will disrupt a fly’s ability to see a landing area, and usually cause them to either fall
off the zebra, or miss the landing entirely. When just one small bite from a fly can have
deadly consequences, stripes are a great defense to those tiny bloodsuckers. They may win the fashion contest in Africa,
but a zebra's stripes aren’t all about looks. Whether it's from predators, the heat, or
menacing flies, this defense mechanism is unique only to zebras. Let us know what you think of their stripes
down in the comment section. And as always, make sure to like and subscribe
for more videos as we learn about animals in the world and what makes them all special.