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- A close relative of the horse, the zebra still found in the wild in parts of Eastern
- Africa. The digestive system of the zebra is designed to extract energy and
- nutrients from course, low-quality forage by permitting the passage of large
- quantities of foliage and plant matter through a long hindgut. The intestine of
- the zebra is eleven to seventeen times the body length. This allows the zebra to live
- in areas of scrub brush, and grassy plains.
-
- Adults stand 55 to 57 inches at the shoulder and may weigh 880 pounds or more.
- The broad black stripes are closely spaced and extend all the way to the broad
- hooves leaving the belly white. The mane is long and erect, and the ears are large
- and rounded.
-
- Pregnant zebra give birth to several foals after a 13 month gestation period. The
- foals can walk only hours after birth and become independant from their mothers
- after a few months of age.
-
- Under increased pressure from human encroachment on their habitat, the zebra is
- listed as an endangered species.
-