What Do Zebras Eat?

Mountain zebras are smaller in size compared to the other zebra species.

• Two subspecies of the mountain zebra have been described, which include the Cape mountain zebra and the Hartmann’s mountain zebra.
• Like other equids, the mountain zebras are roughage feeders, meaning they consume a wide variety of grass that is found within their preferred habitats.
• In other scenarios, mountain zebras can be forced to be browsers.

The Grevy’s zebra can be found in wide distribution in northern parts of Kenya and some areas of southern Ethiopia.

• These zebra species mostly inhabit semi-arid grasslands. They can also be found acacia savannahs.
• The most suitable habitat for this type of zebra is one with a permanent water source.
• Grevy’s zebra is mostly a grazer, but it displays browsing behavior in some instances.

Of all the different types of zebras, the plains zebra is the most common. It is larger when compared to the mountain zebra but smaller than the Grevy’s Zebra.

• Some of the sub-species of the plains zebra include the Burchell’s zebra, Chapman’s zebra, Maneless zebra, Grant’s zebra, Crawshay’s zebra, and the Quagga, which is now extinct.
• The plains zebras live in herds containing a male, also referred to as the stallion, some females, and their offspring.
• This species can grow to between 440 and 990 pounds, with a height of between 3.5 and 5 feet.
• The plains zebra eats a wide array of grasses, leaves, and small young trees.
• As suggested by their names, the plains zebra is mostly found in eastern and southern Africa regions where they inhabit savannah without trees and woodlands.
• Interestingly, this species is absent from rainforests, deserts, and wetlands.

The population of this species is now considered to be threatened, which explains why they are extinct from countries like Lesotho and Burundi.

Zebras and herbivores (they are mainly grazers), which means they do not hunt for their food.

Zebras tend to display diurnal activity, which means they are often be found feeding during the day. Other species like the Burchell’s zebra display both diurnal and nocturnal activity, but they lean more on being active and feeding during the day.

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Zebras can spend about 18 hours of their day eating.

• Zebras spend most of their time eating to provide them with energy because of their large size.
• Their strong teeth allow them to cut through grass blades with ease.

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When it comes to predation, it is worth noting that the stripes on the zebras’ coats provide the perfect camouflage to them. This is especially important at night.

• During the day, these stripes come in handy to provide camouflage in tall grass by breaking their outline to predators.
• In the cases where camouflage does not defend these animals, and they do not have the speed to match that of their predators, they can be hunted down by organisms like leopards, lions, cheetahs, hyenas, and crocodiles found within their habitats.
• Humans also hunt down zebras for their meat, among other of their body parts, and such poaching actions have driven some species to extinction.

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