Under ideal conditions, a female may produce a foal every year. Female guards her baby from other members of the herd when it is first born, perhaps giving it time to learn her pattern of stripes. Life span is up to 28 years. Capable of running 40 mph. Hyenas and lions are main predators.
Zebras use hooves and teeth in defense.
There is much discussion about the adaptive value of stripes, but none of the theories has consensus. The antelope of the plains rely on the zebra to open up the grasslands for them, removing the tough outer layers to expose nutritious parts. Plains zebras are not in danger yet. They can eat coarse grass and are resistant to diseases that affect cattle, so as long as the African plains exist, so will the plains zebra. Two rarer species are in danger, however.