Oscar+L

media type="custom" key="21160882" width="117" height="108" Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Perissodactyla Family: Equidae Genus: Equus Subgenus: Hippotigris Species: E. quagga

Male, female and size: the Plains Zebra are medium sized and thick-bodied with relatively short legs. Both male and female Plains zebra are about 1.4 metres tall (4.6 feet) at the shoulder and are approximately 2.3 metres (8 feet) long and weigh about 294 kilograms however males may weigh 10% more than females, the males and female are a lot like each other, males are called, well males! but females are called mares.

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Young: at birth a foal weighs about 32 kilograms. The foal can stand almost immediately and can run within a day. Although a foal may graze within a week of birth, they continue to suckle for up to 16 months. The average infant mortality is about 50%, mostly due to predation by lions and spotted hyena. The average life span of the Plains zebra is 20 - 25 years in the wild and 40 years in captivity.======

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Breeding:In the wild mares reach sexual maturity between 2 - 4 years. Males are able to compete for mares after they reach about 4 years of age. When gathering females for breeding, rival stallions compete fiercely by pushing, kicking and biting each other. Since a mare may be ready for breeding within days of giving birth, she can conceive almost yearly. The female gives birth to usually one foal, as twins are rare. ======

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Habitat: Plains zebras generally live in treeless grasslands and savannah woodlands but can be found in a variety of habitats, both tropical and temperate. However they are generally absent from deserts, dense rainforests and permanent wetlands. Zebras also live in elevations from sea level to 4,300 m on Mount Kenya. They rely on rainfall for food and water, and go on great migrations to follow the rains. The zebras will migrate up to 700 miles (1,100 km) for food. Other grazers also migrate. Plains zebras are highly water-dependent and are usually found within 25–30 kilometres of a water source.======

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Feeding:The Plains zebra grazes two-thirds of the day on red oat grass, bark, roots and stems. They will also eat a variety of grasses, along with some additional food like leaves and twigs. Plains zebra live in eastern and south-eastern Africa where there are only two seasons, wet and dry. Zebra rely on rainfall for food and water. ======

Conclusion: i really enjoyed researching the zebra because it was a interesting and different animal.

by Oscar Leonard-Fox