Mountain Zebra
Equus zebra
Mountain Zebra is a grass-eating mammal of South African mountain grasslands.
| Scientific name | Equus zebra |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | Vulnerable |
| Class | Mammalia |
| Order | Perissodactyla |
| Family | Equidae |
| Size | Male: approximately 220-270 kg; Female: approximately 200-250 kg |
How to identify
Relatively small body size, stripes are fine and dense; stripes cover only the front part of the body, with few or no stripes on the rump and legs; prominent erect mane on the back; black tuft of hair at the tail tip; facial stripes are broad and clear.
Habitat
Mountain grasslands, shrublands, and rocky hilly areas of the Cape Mountain region
Diet
Herbivorous, primarily grazing on grass, occasionally feeding on shrub leaves
When it is active
Diurnal, mainly active during the day, especially in the early morning and late afternoon
Where it lives
Mainly distributed in the Cape Mountain region of Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces, South Africa
How to spot it
Observe during soft light at dawn or dusk, choose open mountain grassland areas, remain quiet to avoid disturbance
Photography tips
Use natural light, side or backlighting highlights stripes; use telephoto lens to capture distant activity; keep background simple to emphasize zebra stripes
Threats
Habitat loss and fragmentation; illegal hunting; competitive pressure from livestock; low genetic diversity
Similar species
Plains zebra (Equus quagga): stripes cover the entire body and are wider; Hartmann's mountain zebra (Equus zebra hartmannae): found in Namibia, with slight differences in stripes and body size
