Burchell's zebra
Burchell's zebra | |
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Etosha National Park, Namibia
One or two shadow stripes rest between the bold, broad stripes on the haunch , a feature unique to the Burchell's or Damaraland zebra.
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Perissodactyla |
Family: | Equidae |
Genus: | Equus |
Species: | |
Subspecies: | E. q. burchellii
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Trinomial name | |
Equus quagga burchellii Gray, 1824
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Synonyms | |
Equus quagga antiquorum |
Burchell's zebra (Equus quagga burchellii) is a southern subspecies of the plains zebra. It is named after the British explorer and naturalist William John Burchell. Common names include bontequagga, Damaraland zebra, and Zululand zebra (Gray, 1824).[1] Burchell's zebra is the only subspecies of zebra which may be legally farmed for human consumption.[2]
Physical characteristics
Like most plains zebras, females and males are about the same size, standing 1.1 to 1.4 metres (3 ft 7 in to 4 ft 7 in) at the shoulder. They weigh between 230 and 320 kilograms (500 and 700 lb).[3] Year-round reproduction observed in this subspecies in Etosha National Park, Namibia, concludes synchronization of a time budget between males and females, possibly explaining the lack of sexual dimorphism.[4]
Burchell's zebras are described as being striped on the head, the neck, and the flanks, and sparsely down the upper segments of the limbs then fading to white.
Behavior
Like most plains zebras, Burchell's live in small family groups. These can be either harem or bachelor groups, with harem groups consisting of one stallion and one to six mares and their most recent foals, and bachelor groups containing two to eight unattached stallions.[6] The males in bachelor herds are often the younger or older stallions of the population, as they are most likely not experienced enough or strong enough to defend breeding rights to a group of females from challengers. These small groups often congregate in larger herds around water and food sources, but still maintain their identity as family units while in the population gatherings.[7]
Range and adaptation
Formerly, the Burchell's zebra range was centered north of the Vaal/Orange river system, extending northwest via southern
Burchell's zebra migrates the longest distance of any terrestrial animal in Africa, making a round trip of 500 kilometres (300 mi).
Controversial introductions outside its historical range
From 2001 until 2016 the Kissama Foundation reintroduced wildlife in the
Extinct subpopulation
Like other plains zebras, Burchell's zebras must have populated the African plains in impressive numbers. Associations of thousands have been reported. The wild herds were thought to have disappeared by 1910, and the last known captive individual died in the Berlin Zoo in 1918. As European settlement spread northward from the Cape to colonial southern Rhodesia, this subspecies was thought to have been hunted to extinction.
However, Groves and Bell concluded in their 2004 publication that "the extinct true Burchell's zebra" is a phantom.
References
- ^ a b c Gray, J. E. (1824). "A Revision of the Family Equidae". Zoological Journal. 1 (2): 241–248. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
- ^ Powell, Emma (23 July 2014). "Zebra meat: Exotic and lean – but does it taste good?". Independent Digital News and Media Ltd. The Independent. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
- ^ "The Zebra {Equus Burchellii and Grevyi}". sa-venues.com. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
- doi:10.1139/z02-126.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-4214-0093-8. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
- ^ Maimela, Charlie (May 20, 2018). "Burchell's zebra". SANBI. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
- ^ "Burchells Zebra". Kruger National Park. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
- ^ a b c Hays, Brooks (May 27, 2014). "Burchell's zebras undertake 300-mile migration, longest in Africa". UPI. Archived from the original on Feb 3, 2022.
- ^ "SA breeders buck the system". Oxpeckers. March 16, 2016. Archived from the original on Apr 1, 2023.
- ^ KimbAngolaFeiticeira (Nov 28, 2009). "Operation Noah's Ark Kissama National Park Angola". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 2020-11-11.
- ^ "Documentation". Wildlife Vets Namibia. Archived from the original on 2020-03-21. Retrieved 2020-11-11.
- ^ .
Sources
- Duncan, P. (ed.). 1992. Zebras, Asses, and Horses: An Action Plan for the Conservation of Wild Equids. IUCN/SSC Equid Specialist Group. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland.
- Maas, P. 2005. "Burchell's Zebra – Equus quagga burchellii". The Extinction Website. Downloaded on 21 January 2006.
- Moehlman, P.D. 2002. Equids. Zebras, Asses and Horses. Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan. IUCN/SSC Equid Specialist Group. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland.
External links
- Data related to Equus quagga burchellii at Wikispecies