Snapshot Serengeti Talk

Disappearing stripes.

  • Ohsoalexzy by Ohsoalexzy

    Zebra on the left has fading stripes, anyone see this before?

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  • AowlanCrystal by AowlanCrystal moderator

    I've seen this on a number of images, the one 2nd from right also has the faded marks, I think most are one of the 'plains zebra called Grants, which usually do not have the 'shadow markings or very poorly expressed, where as some southern zebra species show them more. So it is either a Grants with higher than usual expression of the 'shadow' markings, than seen in the others here or it could be that somewhere along the lines this one from a hybrid mating of 2 plains zebra types, of close or more distance past and expressing its 'shadow' markings from its ancesstor that had them. Or if I've got it all wrong, I am happy to be corrected.
    also each zebra has its own unique 'barcode'! No 2 zebra will have the same pattern of stripes, some might be similar looking, but won't be the exact same.

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  • davidbygott by davidbygott moderator

    We've only the one species of zebra in Serengeti but it's quite variable, and these 'shadow stripes' are not unusual.

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  • Ohsoalexzy by Ohsoalexzy

    Great thanks!

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