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Zebra

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Zebra
Temporal range: Neogene–present
A herd o plains zebra ("Equus quagga")
A herd o plains zebra (Equus quagga)
Scienteefic clessificationEdit this classification
Kinrick: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Cless: Mammalia
Order: Perissodactyla
Faimily: Equidae
Genus: Equus
Groups included
Cladeestically includit but tradeetionally excludit taxa

Aw ither Equus speshies

Zebras are several species o African equids (horse faimily) unitit bi their distinctive black an white strippit coats. Thair strips come in different paiterns, unique tae ilk individual. Thay are generally social ainimals that leeve in smaw harems tae lairge herds. Unlik thair closest relatives, horse an cuddies, zebras hae niver been truly domesticatit.

Thare are three species o zebras: the plains zebra, the moontain zebra an the Grévy's zebra. The plains zebra an the moontain zebra belang tae the subgenus Hippotigris, but Grévy's zebra is the sole species o subgenus Dolichohippus. The latter resembles an ass, tae that zebras are closely relatit, while the umwhile twa leuk mair horse-lik. Aw three belang tae the genus Equus, alang wi ither leevin equids.

The unique stripes o zebras mak them ane o the ainimals maist familiar tae fowk. Thay occur in a variety o habitats, sic as gresslands, savannas, widlands, thorny scrublands, moontains, an coastal hills. Houiver, various anthropogenic factors hae haed a severe impact on zebra populations, in pairteecular huntin for skins an habitat destruction. Grévy's zebra an the moontain zebra are endangered. While plains zebras are muckle mair plentifu, ane subspecies, the quagga, becam extinct in the late 19t century – tho thare is currently a plan, cried the Quagga Project, that aims tae breed zebras that are phenoteepically seemilar tae the quagga in a process cried breedin back.