Plains Zebra
Equus quagga
🦓
Chordata
Mammalia
Perissodactyla
Equoidea
Equidae
Equus
Equus quagga
The Plains Zebra, Equus quagga, is Africa’s most widespread wild equid — a symbol of the continent’s open savannas. Its bold black-and-white stripes serve as camouflage against predators and parasites, while its strong social bonds and migratory behavior define the rhythm of the African plains.
Description
Plains Zebra (Equus quagga) — The Plains Zebra is a highly social grazing equid found across eastern and southern Africa. It inhabits open grasslands, savannas, and lightly wooded areas from Ethiopia to South Africa. Recognizable by its striking stripe pattern — unique to each individual — this species varies in coat intensity and band width across its range, with northern subspecies (such as E. q. boehmi) being more lightly striped than southern forms like E. q. burchellii.
Adults reach about 1.3–1.5 m at the shoulder and weigh between 200–380 kg. Zebras form tight-knit herds consisting of a dominant stallion, several mares, and their foals, often joining large mixed groups with wildebeest and antelope during migrations. Their primary defense is vigilance and speed; zebras can run up to 65 km/h, often zig-zagging to evade predators.
Fossil and genetic evidence show that Equus quagga diverged from ancestral Equus stock during the early Pleistocene, spreading widely across Africa’s grasslands.
Quick Facts
Max Mass
Shoulder Height
Standing Height
Length
Diet
Trophic Level
175
1.3
1.95
2.5
kg
m
m
m
Mixed Feeder
Omnivores – Balanced
Hunt History
Pleistocene and Holocene humans hunted Equus quagga for meat and hides throughout its range. The species’ reliance on open water sources and predictable grazing routes made it an easy target during seasonal migrations. Hunters likely used coordinated drives, fire, and ambushes near river crossings and waterholes. Evidence of zebra hunting appears across numerous Stone Age sites in eastern and southern Africa.
Earliest Archaeological Evidence of Human Predation:
Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania – Lower Paleolithic (~1.8 million BP); zebra bones with cut marks associated with early Homo erectus tools.
Klasies River Caves, South Africa – Middle Stone Age (~90,000 BP); zebra remains butchered alongside other plains game.
Enkapune ya Muto, Kenya – Late Pleistocene (~12,000 BP); zebra bones with clear evidence of butchery and roasting, linked to early Homo sapiens hunter-gatherers.
Time & Range
Extinction Status
Extant
Extinction Date
Temporal Range
Region
0
BP
Late Pleistocene
Africa
Wiki Link
Fat Analysis
Fatness Profile:
Medium
Fat %
5
Est. Renderable Fat
8.8
kg
Targeted Organs
Visceral & subcutaneous
Adipose Depots
Visceral/subcutaneous (general)
Preferred Cuts
Visceral depot
Hunt Difficulty (x/5)
3