The ZEBRAS have many points in common with the asses, from which latter group of animals they are principally distinguished by their beautifully striped skins. Both asses and zebras carry short, erect manes, and in both the upper portion of the tail is free from long hair. In both groups there are naked callosities on the fore legs only, whilst the head is larger in proportion to the size of the animal, and the ears longer than in the horse. in BURCHELL'S and GREVY'S ZEBRAS the hoof is intermediate between that of the horse and the ass; for although narrower than the hoof of the horse, it is broader and more rounded than that of the ass. In the TRUE ZEBRA, however, the hoof is thoroughly asinine in character, and the ears very long.
GREVY'S ZEBRA is the largest and perhaps the handsomest of all zebras. this fine animal is an inhabitant of eastern Africa, its range extending from the central portion of Somalialand southwards to the Tana River. It appears to be plentiful in the country between Mount kenia and lake Rudolph, but has not, been met with to the west of that lake. the arrangement of stripes in this species differs considerably both from that of the mountain-zebra of the Cape Colony and also from Burchell's zebra. The body stripes are very narrow, numerous, and deep black in color, and are separated by equally narrow white bands. the longitudinal stripes on the haunches are also shorter and finer than in any other species of zebra, and on the top of the center of the back from the neck to the tail. The belly and insides of the thighs are white, and the legs banded right down to the hoofs as in the mountain-zebra, and the ears are as large as in that species.
Grevy's zebra is, as a rule, an inhabitant of open or thinly wooded country, and it appears to avoid anything in the nature of thick cover. Although this species is an inhabitant of arid plains and bare stony hills where the herbage is short, it requires to drink daily, and is never therefore found at any great distance from water.
The cry of grevy's zebra is stated to be quite different from that of burchell's. It is described to be a very hoarse kind of grunt, varied by something approaching a whistle, the grunts being long drawn out, and divided by the shrill whistling sound, as if the latter were made by drawing in the breath which had been expelled during the sustained grunt.
like all other species of the genus to which they belong, grevy's zebras, especially the mares when in foal, became very fat at certain seasons of the year, and their flesh is much appreciated both by natives and lions, the latter preying on them and their smaller congeners, burchell's zebras, in preference to any other animal, now that the rinderpest has almost exterminated the great herds of buffalo which once roamed in countless numbers all over East Central Africa.
BURCHELL'S ZEBRA once inhabited the whole Southwestern, Southeastern, central, and Eastern Africa from the Orange River to lake Rudolph; and though it has long ceased to exist in the more southernly portions of its range, it is still the most numerous and the best known of all the species of zebra.
Burchell's zebras often live in large herds of from fifty to over a hundred together. They a partial to sparsely forested country intersected by open glades, but also frequent open plains entirely devoid of trees or bush, having been once numerous on the open downs of the Western Transvaal and Orange River Colony. they never live in dense jungle, but they can be found amongst broken rugged hills. Burchell's zebras are both fleet and enduring. in broken, hilly, and stony ground, however, no horse can live with a Burchell's zebra. the hoofs of this species seems made for running in rocky ground, being deeply hollowed and as hard as iron.
This species of zebra may often be seen In Southern Africa in company with other animals, such as buffaloes, blue wildebeests, elands, gemsbucks, roan and sassaby antelopes, and ostriches, and they are sometimes seen coming up to cattle and horses. They are not naturally very wary, and in parts of the country where they have not been much molested are often very inquisitive, and will come trotting quite close up to a caravan., provided they do not get a scent of human beings. Foals of this species are easily caught, and become at once very tame and confiding.
