Snapshot Serengeti Talk

Zebra species

  • Wolbo by Wolbo

    What kind of subspecies of zebra populate the Serengeti? Are these all the same subspecies? Are these all Grant's zebras?

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  • aliburchard by aliburchard scientist, translator

    All of the zebras in Serengeti are "plains zebra" -- Equus burchelli -- there are two other subspecies of zebra, Grevy's and mountain zebra, but neither of them live inside Serengeti.

    Posted

  • Wolbo by Wolbo

    Interesting but somewhat confusing. I would have thought that the name Equus burchelli is a reference to the Burchell's zebra but don't these have light brown stripes in between the black stripes? I don't see those on any of the Serengeti zebras.

    enter image description here

    ??

    Posted

  • kosmala by kosmala scientist

    Sorry for the confusion. A clarification: there are three species of zebra, of which the Serengeti species is the plains zebra, Equus quagga. Plains zebra have several sub-species, of which the Burchell's is the one seen in Serengeti, Equus quagga burchellii.

    Posted

  • kasabugu by kasabugu

    Just cos it is about zebras
    The site says "Zebra- The Swahili word for zebra means "striped donkey" and that’s exactly what this animal looks like."
    Wrong the Swahili for a zebra is "Punda Milia" which when translated is "Donkey that Cries" which is the sound that they make.

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