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| SCIENTIFIC
CLASSIFICATION |
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| COMMON
NAME: |
Hartman's
mountain zebra |
| KINGDOM: |
Animalia |
| PHYLUM: |
Chordata |
| CLASS: |
Mammalia |
| ORDER: |
Perissodactyla |
| FAMILY: |
Equidae |
| GENUS
SPECIES: |
Equus
(horse) zebra (Congolese or Abyssinian word
possibly meaning striped) hartmannae |
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| DESCRIPTION: |
The
Hartman's mountain zebra has dark brown stripes
on the body that are narrow toward the torso and
positioned close together. The stripes are broad
and horizontal toward the rear. The mane is erect,
unlike a horse's, and the ears are large and donkey
like with thick fur inside. |
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| SIZE: |
Approximately
0.91-1.25 m (3-4 ft.) at the withers |
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| WEIGHT: |
260-370 kg (572-814 lb.) |
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| DIET: |
Grazes
on a variety of grasses, bark, and leaves |
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| GESTATION: |
Gestation
lasts approximately 11.5-12 months; one offspring |
| NURSING
DURATION |
Foal
nurses for 6-13 months |
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| SEXUAL
MATURITY: |
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| MALE |
Approximately
6 years |
| FEMALE |
Approximately
2 years |
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| LIFE
SPAN: |
20-28
years in wild; 25-30 years in captivity |
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| HABITAT: |
Inhabits
deserts and semi-deserts |
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| POPULATION: |
GLOBAL |
Approximately
25,000 |
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| STATUS: |
IUCN |
Endangered |
| CITES |
Appendix
II |
| USFWS |
Endangered |
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| 1. |
Within an hour after it is born, a foal can run
with the rest of the herd and can recognize its
mother with smell and sight. |
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| 2. |
Stripes may cause confusion by making it hard for
a predator to single out an individual. |
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| 3. |
Each zebra has a unique stripe pattern, like a person's
fingerprint. |
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| 4. |
Hartman's
have broad rump stripes, making them easy to identify
from other zebra species. |
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| 5. |
When
food and water run low, zebras will migrate to areas
such as the foothills of Mt. Kenya where the average
rainfall is higher. While in search of water, it
may dig holes in streambeds with its front hooves
until it reaches water! During migration, it is
common to see 100-200 zebras congregated around
a single water hole. However, during the dry season,
it is typical to see herds of only two to six zebras
in one area. |
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| 6. |
Most
zebras will travel 6-8 km (3.5-5 miles) daily for
more water and greener pastures while passing through
several territories. |
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| 7. |
Hartman's
are the only equid species with a dewlap. Both males
and females have the pouch beneath their chin. |
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Zebras
are beneficial to other wild grazers because they
clear off the tops of coarse grasses that are
difficult for other herbivores to digest. Also,
zebras eat course grasses that grow on marginal
lands where cattle do not do well.
They
are also prey for large carnivores such as lions
and hyenas.
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|
|
Elzenga, J. W. "Why Zebras Are Striped."
SWARA, July - Aug. 1992, pp. 29-30. |
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Nowak, R. (ed.). Walker's Mammals of the World.
Vol. 2. Baltimore: John Hopkins University Press,
1991. |
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Stevens, J. E. "Zebras in Turmoil."
International Wildlife, Sept. - Oct. 1994, pp.
6-12.
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| Walther,
Fr. R. Communication and Expression in Hoofed
Animals. Bloomington: Indiana University Press,
1984. |
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