Imperial zebra, Grévy's zebra, Imperial zebra
Grévy's zebra (Equus grevyi ), also known as the imperial zebra, is the largest living wild equid and the most threatened of the three species of zebra, the other two being the plains zebra and the mountain zebra. Named after Jules Grévy, it is found in Kenya and Ethiopia. Compared with other zebras, it is tall, has large ears, and its stripes are narrower.
The Grévy's zebra lives in semi-arid grasslands where it feeds on grasses, legumes, and browse; it can survive up to five days without water. It differs from the other zebra species in that it does not live in harems and has few long-lasting social bonds. Stallion territoriality and mother–foal relationships form the basis of the social system of the Grévy's zebra. This zebra is considered to be endangered. Its population has declined from 15,000 to 2,000 since the 1970s. In 2016 the population was reported to be stable.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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HerbivoreA herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example, foliage, for the main component of its die...
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FolivoreIn zoology, a folivore is a herbivore that specializes in eating leaves. Mature leaves contain a high proportion of hard-to-digest cellulose, less ...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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CursorialA cursorial organism is one that is adapted specifically to run. An animal can be considered cursorial if it has the ability to run fast (e.g. chee...
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AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
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GrazingGrazing is a method of feeding in which a herbivore feeds on plants such as grasses, or other multicellular organisms such as algae. In agriculture...
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BrowsingBrowsing is a type of herbivory in which an herbivore (or, more narrowly defined, a folivore) feeds on leaves, soft shoots, or fruits of high-growi...
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NomadicNomadic animals regularly move to and from the same areas within a well-defined range. Most animals travel in groups in search of better territorie...
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TerritorialA territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
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CongregatoryCongregatory animals tend to gather in large numbers in specific areas as breeding colonies, for feeding, or for resting.
Among animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
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PolygynandryPolygynandry is a mating system in which both males and females have multiple mating partners during a breeding season.
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Generally solitaryGenerally solitary animals are those animals that spend their time separately but will gather at foraging areas or sleep in the same location or sh...
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Dominance hierarchyA dominance hierarchy (formerly and colloquially called a pecking order) is a type of social hierarchy that arises when members of animal social gr...
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SocialA herd is a social grouping of certain animals of the same species, either wild or domestic. The form of collective animal behavior associated with...
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MigratingAnimal migration is the relatively long-distance movement of individual animals, usually on a seasonal basis. It is the most common form of migrati...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withGrévy's zebras are magnificent and elegant creatures. Although they belong to the horse family, these animals are actually more closely related to the African wild asses. Due to excessive and continuous hunting, they were once threatened with total extinction. Currently, efforts are put to recover this huge population loss. Grévy's zebras perceive their environment through a well-developed binocular vision. As it comes to food, these mammals are very selective and require a suitable quality of food.
The current range of this species covers north-eastern and southern regions of Ethiopia as well as central and northern Kenya. Within this territory, Grevy’s zebras are generally found in dry, semi-desert grasslands.
Grevy's zebras are diurnal mammals. They exhibit a rather unusual social behavior for zebras. Thus, females and their young may occasionally gather in temporary herds. Within these herds, mothers and their calves live in very close bonds. On the other hand, males tend to be solitary and don't develop long-lasting relationships. Mature males display a highly territorial behavior, marking their home ranges by means of "middens" - dung piles. During the mating season, females come to their territories to mate. At this period, each male fiercely defends its territory. However, males do associate with each other at the boundaries of their home ranges. They generally live in the same area throughout the year, although may leave the territory for greener pastures when the summer is too long. Reaching adolescence at 1 - 4 years old, young males leave their mothers and form bachelor herds.
The diet of these herbivorous mammals primarily consists of grasses, supplemented by fruits, tree bark, shrubs, roots, leaves and buds.
Males of this species exhibit polygynous behavior, breeding with all females coming into their home ranges. Females, in turn, display polyandry, mating with numerous males. However, some females become monandrous. Females usually come to a male's home range, due to being attracted by the resources of the territory. Then they settle in the area for a while, mating the male before leaving for another territory. Mating occurs at any time of year with peak periods in July-August and October-November. Gestation period lasts for 13 months, yielding a single baby, which is born highly developed. Within the first 6 minutes after birth, the foal begins to walk. It's able to run about 45 minutes after birth. During the first 6 - 8 months of its life, the foal is suckled by its mother, living with her for up to 3 years old, when it becomes reproductively mature. However, young males begin breeding only after 6 years old.
These animals are currently facing one of the most wide-scale range reductions among African mammals. They have lost a considerable part of their original range. Remaining populations suffer from harsh competition for food with other grazing animals. They also compete for resources with cattle and livestock. On the other hand, population numbers are negatively affected by excessive grazing and competition for water sources. Those in Ethiopia are threatened by large-scale hunting for their meat, striking coats and medical use.
According to the IUCN Red List, the total population of Grevy’s zebras is 1,966 - 2,447 individuals. This includes 1838-2319 animals in Kenya and 128 animals in Ethiopia. Overall, Grevy’s zebras are classified as Endangered (EN), but their numbers remain stable today.
Grevy's are an important source of food for numerous predators of their range (lions, cheetahs, leopards, hyenas).
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...