Tag Archives: Social Science Questions on Mammals

No, the various species of zebra Burchell’s, mountain and Grevy’s-all have different coat patterns. (So also, do the various subspecies such as Chapman’s.) Thus, although all zebras look superficially the same, scientists can tell them apart by comparing the width of the stripes and the overall patterning. Awkward target but why to zebras have stripes to begin with? You might …

This is the most obvious question to ask about zebras but unfortunately nobody really knows the answer. Looking as zebras in the zoo, the stripped patterning seems very conspicuous and could hardly be thought of as protective. One theory, however, claims that this is, in fact, so. The bold stripes may serve to break up the shape of the zebra. …