Equus zebra Linnaeus 1758
Creators: name: Don E. Wilson
name: Russell A. Mittermeier
Publisher: name: Lynx Edicions
Year: 2011
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Perissodactyla
Equidae
Equus
Equus zebra

description: 7.
Mountain Zebra
Equus zebra
French: Zebre de montagne / German: Bergzebra / Spanish: Cebra de montana
Other common names: Cape Mountain Zebra (zebra), Hartmann's Mountain Zebra (hartmannae)
Taxonomy. Equus zebra Linnaeus, 1758,
South Africa, south-western Cape Province.
Two subspecies recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution.
E. z. zebraLinnaeus, 1758 — SSouthAfrica (S & WedgeofthecentralplateauintheEasternandWesternCapeProvinces).
E. z. hartmannae Matschie, 1898 — W Namibia (mountainous transition zone between the Namib Desert and the Namibian central plateau); possibly in SW Angola.
Descriptive notes. Head-body 210-260 cm, tail 40-55 cm, shoulder height 115-150 cm; weight 240-380 kg. The Mountain Zebra can be distinguished from other zebra species by the dewlap under its neck. The pattern of striping is also intermediate between the other two species. The stripes are half as wide as and more numerous than those of Plains Zebras (FE. quagga) and the belly is white as in Grevy’s Zebras (FE. grevyi). Mountain Zebras have a “waffle-iron” pattern on the rump near the root of the tail. On the rump, the narrow stripes change to broad and bold stripes, more like those of “Grant’s Zebra ” (E. boehmi). The “ Cape Mountain Zebra ” is smaller than “Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra ” and it has slightly wider stripes.
Habitat. As its name implies, the Mountain Zebra inhabits slopes and plateaus in mountainous areas. Cape Mountain Zebras are found up to 2000 m in the summer. Hartmann’s Mountain Zebras sometimes are found on salt flats. In the recent past they were commonly found in the bushy karoo upland shrub where summer droughts were compensated for by night-time dew and mist.
Food and Feeding. Mountain Zebras eat mostly grass, although browse in the form of leaves and bark is occasionally consumed. Mountain Zebras generally drink twice per day.
Breeding. Births occur throughout the year, with peaks in December—January for Cape Mountain Zebras and in November—April for Hartmann’s Mountain Zebras. Females give birth to a single young every 1-3 years, after a gestation period of approximately one year. The young are weaned at around ten months and leave the natal group at 1-3 years of age. Males are capable of establishing and holding a harem at 5-6 years.
Activity patterns. Mountain Zebras are most active in the morning and in the late afternoon until sunset. They remain inactive during the middle of the day and seek shelter from the heat when possible. Individuals feed for more than half the daylight hours. Hartmann’s Mountain Zebras have a grazing area of 6-20 km* during winter and considerably smaller areas in the summer. Their home ranges are thought to be around 3-16 km?*.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. Mountain Zebras generally live in small permanent membership groups with overlapping home ranges. Most groups contain a single stallion and 1-5 mares with their young. Sometimes groups join to form temporary herds of 30 or more individuals. Stallions can maintain haremsfor more than 15 years, but they are usually driven out by younger males before then. Bachelor groups are composed of both young males and old stallions that have lost their groups. There is a strict hierarchy amongst males in bachelor groups, and between females in breeding groups.
Status and Conservation. CITES Appendix I (zebra) and Appendix II (hartmannae). Classified as Vulnerable on The IUCN Red List. Historically, Mountain Zebras ranged from southern South Africa through Namibia to extreme south-western Angola. Habitat conversion to agriculture, competition with domestic livestock, hunting, and persecution are the main threats facing Mountain Zebras. Crossbreeding between the two subspecies is considered a potential threat in South Africa, where both subspecies occur,since this would mix and disrupt the genetic diversity of the species. Crossbreeding with Plains Zebras is also a potential threat just asit is for Grevy’s Zebras. Cape Mountain Zebras suffered devastating declines because of trophy hunting and land conversion to agriculture in South Africa during the 19" and early 20™ centuries. By the 1930s they were on the brink of extinction—a 1937 census countedjust 45 individuals. Since the establishment of national parks in the locations where the few surviving individuals remained, the population has increased to around 1400. Cape Mountain Zebras now live in 17 provincial nature reserves and national parks, the largest being the Addo Elephant and the Cape Peninsula National Parks. Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra also suffered massive population declines during the 1950s and 1960s, primarily due to persecution from an expanding livestock industry. Hartmann’s Mountain Zebras continue to come into conflict with livestock farmers, particularly during drought years when resources are in short supply. Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra is a protected species in Namibia and any use requires permits. The Namibian Ministry of Environment and Tourism therefore has encouraged the commercial use of Mountain Zebras to provide an incentive for promoting tolerance. Numbers are increasing on communal land and overall numbers are in the range of 30,000. Today, populations are isolated, inhabiting the Mkambati and Goegap Provincial Nature Reserves, Amaqwati Tribal Resource Area, and Richtersveld National Park. The animals are also present on numerous private estates in the Northern and Eastern Cape Provinces of South Africa, as well as in fenced, protected areas, and game farms in Namibia.
Bibliography. Kingdon (1997), Lloyd (1984), Millar (1970a, 1970b), Novellie (2008), Novellie et al (2002), Penzhorn (1975).
description: Published as part of Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2011, Equidae, pp. 106-143 in Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 2 Hoofed Mammals, Barcelona :Lynx Edicions on pages 142-143, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5719778