The Seven Functions of a Zebra Skin
Published by A short guide to the uses of a zebra skin.
Special thanks to my cousin: Lizzie.
- Due to the unique stripe pattern of each zebra, every zebra can identify another and baby zebras can find there mothers before there scent has fully developed.
- The vertical stripes act as camouflage in the tall grass. the fact that the stripes are black and white doesn’t matter because the zebra’s main predator, the lion, is colour-blind.
- Thanks to the stripes the herd of zebras looks more like one giant animal to their predators, making it more difficult for them to pick one out and kill it.
- Stripes also confuses the predators by affecting their sight of dept and range.
- The pattern is also an indicator for potential sex partners. As a wound would indicate that the zebra could not run away fast enough from his attacker because he was to slow.
- It also confuses the TseTse-fly, an insect that infects zebras with a sleeping disease.
- Last, the black and white pattern, that deflects and absorbs the sun’s heat, with matching fat layers under the skin acts as a thermoregulating personal mini-climate for each zebra, so that they minimize their dehydration by the hot African sun.
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On November 25, 2009 at 6:16 pm
I love your post about all the functions of a zebra skin. As a seller of zebra skin rugs, I only knew a few uses and that was for rugs and furniture. I guess the imagination can span a long way. Great article.