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Zebra (subgenus Hippotigris) are African equines with distinctive black-and-white striped coats. Burchell’s Zebra (Equus Quagga Burchellii) is a southern subspecies of the Plains Zebra. Common names include Bontequagga, Damaraland Zebra, and Zululand Zebra. Burchell’s Zebra is the only subspecies of Zebra which may be legally farmed for human consumption. Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra (Equus Zebra Hartmannae) is a subspecies of the Mountain Zebra found in far south-western Angola and western Namibia, easily distinguished from other similar Zebra species by its dewlap. Hartmann’s Zebra stripes don’t join on its stomach and continue down to its hooves, whereas Burchell’s stripes extend onto its underparts and often fade towards its hooves.
Zebra’ dazzling stripes make them among the most recognisable mammals. They have been featured in art and stories in Africa and beyond. Historically, they have been highly sought by exotic animal collectors, but unlike horses and donkeys, Zebra have never been completely domesticated.
Zebra are easily recognised by their bold black-and-white striping patterns. The coat appears to be white with black stripes, as indicated by the belly and legs when unstriped, but the skin is black. Young or foals are born with brown and white coats, and the brown darkens with age. A dorsal line acts as the backbone for vertical stripes along the sides, from the head to the rump. On the snout they curve toward the nostrils, while the stripes above the front legs split into two branches. On the rump, they develop into species-specific patterns. The stripes on the legs, ears and tail are separate and horizontal. Striping patterns are unique to an individual and heritable. During embryonic development, the stripes appear at eight months, but the patterns may be determined at three to five weeks. For each species there is a point in embryonic development where the stripes are perpendicular to the dorsal line and spaced 0.4 mm (0.016 in) apart. However, this happens at three weeks of development for the Plains Zebra, four weeks for the Mountain Zebra. The difference in timing is thought to be responsible for the differences in the striping patterns of the different species.
Zebra may travel or migrate to wetter areas during the dry season. Plains Zebra have been recorded travelling 500 km (310 mi) between Namibia and Botswana, the longest land migration of mammals in Africa. When migrating, they appear to rely on some memory of the locations where foraging conditions were best and may predict conditions months after their arrival. Plains Zebra are more water-dependent and live in moister environments than other species. They usually can be found 10–12 km (6.2–7.5 mi) from a water source. Mountain Zebra can be found at elevations of up to 2,000 m (6,600 ft). Zebra sleep for seven hours a day, standing up during the day and lying down during the night. They regularly use various objects as rubbing posts and will roll on the ground.
A Zebra diet is mostly grasses and sedges, but they will opportunistically consume bark, leaves, buds, fruits, and roots. Compared to ruminants, Zebra have a simpler and less efficient digestive system. Nevertheless, they can subsist on lower-quality vegetation. Zebra may spend 60–80% of their time feeding, depending on the availability of vegetation. The Plains Zebra is a pioneer grazer, mowing down the upper, less nutritious grass canopy and preparing the way for more specialised grazers, which depend on shorter and more nutritious grasses below.
Zebra are preyed on mainly by Lion, Leopard, Cheetah, Spotted Hyena, Brown Hyena and Wild Dog pose less of a threat to adults. Biting and kicking are a Zebra defence tactics. When threatened by Lion, Zebra flee, and when caught they are rarely effective in fighting off the big cats. In one study, the maximum speed of a Zebra was found to be 50 km/h (31 mph) while a Lion was measured at 74 km/h (46 mph). Zebra do not escape Lion by speed alone but by sideways turning, especially when the cat is close behind. With smaller predators like Hyena and Dog, Zebra may act more aggressively, especially in defence of their young.
Zebra species have two basic social structures. Plains and Mountain Zebra live in stable, closed family groups or harems consisting of one stallion, several mares, and their offspring. These groups have their own home ranges, which overlap, and they tend to be nomadic. Stallions form and expand their harems by recruiting young mares from their natal (birth) harems. The stability of the group remains even when the family stallion is displaced. Plains Zebra groups gather into large herds and may create temporarily stable subgroups within a herd, allowing individuals to interact with those outside their group. Females in harems can spend more time feeding, and gain protection both for them and their young. The females have a linear dominance hierarchy with the high-ranking females being the ones that have lived in the group longest. While traveling, the most dominant females and their offspring lead the group, followed by the next most dominant. The family stallion trails behind. Young of both sexes leave their natal groups as they mature; females are usually herded by outside males to become part of their harems.
In all species, excess males gather in bachelor groups. These are typically young males that are not yet ready to establish a harem or territory. With the Plains Zebra, the oldest males are the most dominant and group membership is stable. Bachelor groups tend to be at the boundaries of herds and during group movements, the bachelors follow behind or along the sides. Mountain Zebra bachelor groups may also include young females that have left their natal group early, as well as old, former harem males. Bachelors prepare for their future harem roles with play fights and greeting/challenge rituals, which make up most of their activities.
Fights between males usually occur over mates and involve biting and kicking. In Plains Zebra, stallions fight each other over recently matured mares to bring into their group and her family stallion will fight off other males trying to abduct her. As long as a harem stallion is healthy, he is not usually challenged. Only unhealthy stallions have their harems taken over, and even then, the new stallion slowly takes over, peacefully displacing the old one.
Zebra produce a number of vocalisations and noises. The Plains Zebra has a distinctive, barking contact call heard as “a-ha, a-ha, a-ha” or “kwa-ha, kaw-ha, ha, ha” The Mountain Zebra may produce a similar sound. Loud snorting and rough “gasping” in Zebra signals alarm. Squealing is usually made when in pain, but can also be heard in friendly interactions. Zebra also communicate with visual displays, and the flexibility of their lips allows them to make complex facial expressions. Visual displays also consist of head, ear, and tail postures. A Zebra may signal an intention to kick by dropping back its ears and whipping its tail. Flattened ears, bared teeth and a waving head may be used as threatening gestures by stallions.
Individuals may greet each other by rubbing and sniffing and then mutually rub their cheeks, and move along their bodies towards each other’s genitals to sniff. They then may caress their shoulders against each other and lay their heads on one another. This greeting usually occurs between harem or territorial males or among bachelor males playing. Plains and Mountain Zebra strengthen their social bonds with grooming. Members of a harem nibble and rake along the neck, shoulder, and back with their teeth and lips. Grooming usually occurs between mothers and foals and between stallions and mares. Grooming establishes social rank and eases aggressive behaviour.
Among Plains and Mountain Zebra, the adult females mate only with their harem stallion. Female Zebra have five to ten day long oestrous cycles and gestation is typically around a year. A few days to a month later, mares can return to oestrus. In harem-holding species, oestrus in a female becomes less noticeable to outside males as she gets older, hence competition for older females is virtually non-existent.
Usually, a single foal is born, which is capable of running within an hour of birth. A newborn Zebra will follow anything that moves, so new mothers prevent other mares from approaching their foals as they become more familiar with the mother’s striping pattern, smell and voice. At a few weeks old, foals begin to graze, but may continue to nurse for eight to thirteen months.
In Plains and Mountain Zebra, foals are cared for mostly by their mothers, but if threatened by pack-hunting Hyena and Wild Dog, the entire group works together to protect all the young. The group forms a protective front with the foals in the centre, and the stallion will rush at predators that come too close. By contrast, Plains Zebra stallions are generally intolerant of foals that are not theirs and may practice infanticide and feticide via violence to the pregnant mare.
Like most Plains Zebra, females and males are about the same size, standing 1.1 to 1.4 metres (3 ft 7 in to 4 ft 7 in) at the shoulder. They weigh between 230 and 320 kilograms (500 and 700 lb). Burchell’s Zebra are described as being striped on the head, the neck, and the flanks, and sparsely down the upper segments of the limbs then fading to white. One or two shadow stripes rest between the bold, broad stripes on the haunch. This main distinguishing characteristic sets the Burchell’s Zebra apart from the other subspecies. The dorsal line is narrow and becomes gradually broader toward the rear, distinctly margined with white on each side. Like most Plains Zebra, Burchell’s live in small family groups. These can be either harem or bachelor groups, with harem groups consisting of one stallion and one to six mares and their most recent foals, and bachelor groups containing two to eight unattached stallions. The males in bachelor herds are often the younger or older stallions of the population, as they are most likely not experienced enough or strong enough to defend breeding rights to a group of females from challengers. These small groups often congregate in larger herds around water and food sources, but still maintain their identity as family units while in the population gatherings.
They are agile climbers and are able to live in arid conditions and steep mountainous country. Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra prefer to live in small groups ranging from as little as 3 individuals to as many as 12. Herds will either be a breeding herd comprising one stallion and potentially many mares or it will be a bachelor group that consists primarily of young males. Young males raised as foals within the breeding herds will generally be kicked out when they are as young as 24 months, whereafter they may become the stallions of their own breeding herds within 5 years. When two breeding herds come into contact with one another, each respective stallion will engage the other in an elaborate posturing ritual.
Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra has been described as an ecosystem engineer—while engaging in their unique dust bathing behaviour they create a persistent depression known as a rolling pit. Even after the Zebra abandons a rolling pit, they will generally remain visible for many years. These rolling pits appear to provide a favourable microsite for the native vegetation—ultimately leading to denser growth throughout the pit. Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra have a “gridiron” of narrow stripes across their back, small dewlap under the chin, and no shadow stripes. They’re very good climbers compared to the other species of Zebra and they have very hard and pointed hooves. They are in the horse family (Equids) and related to common Zebra. Although the status of this sub-species is better than that of the Cape Mountain Zebra of South Africa, it is still considered vulnerable to extinction. We manage the International Studbook for Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra. They are skilled climbers and have very hard and pointed hooves compared to other Zebra and equids. Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra are known for their playful demeanour compared to other Zebra species.
They have a wide range in east and southern Africa. Burchell’s Zebra occur throughout all habitats like open woodlands and grasslands except where there are dense shrubs and where there are tree thickets or dense riparian vegetation.
Mountain Zebra are adapted to live in dry, rocky areas and semi-wooded grasslands. Their range is limited to a few Mountainous regions in southwestern Angola and the coastal Mountain ranges of Namibia.
Zebra taxidermy is the art of preserving the Zebra skin and other body parts to produce lifelike sculptures for display, either at home as a hunting trophy or in museums for educational purposes. Skin is preserved and mounted on an artificial armature to display the specimen.
The contemporary English word “taxidermy” is derived from the Greek terms taxis, meaning “movement,” and derma, meaning “skin,” thereby combining these two meanings. This is why, in a broad sense, taxidermy is synonymous with “the motion of skin.”
For expert taxidermists, skills in sculpture, painting, and sketching are just as important as those in carpentry, woodworking, tanning, moulding, and casting.
The remaining parts of the body are synthetic replacements for real organs and tissues. Polyurethane foam is used for the manikin or form, which includes the anatomy of every muscle and vein; glass is used for the eyes; clay is used for the eyelids; for the nose and mouth the foam of the mannequin is sculptured.
Works of taxidermy can be found in a wide range of environments, including museums, classrooms, galleries, stores, restaurants, and private households, due to the complexity and delicate craftsmanship involved in the taxidermy process.
Thorough preparation is the key factor to ensuring a high-quality final product. All hides are tanned and oiled using the world’s very best available chemicals and processes to ensure permanence and longevity. Forms are selected to ensure the best fit and posture will be altered to suit you, the client’s preference without additional cost. Natural habitat bases are custom-made for full mount trophies without additional cost. Only the finest materials and 40 years of professional experience are used in defining your trophies in a whole new way. The final trophies are almost Life-Formed. When the restoration is required, every effort is made to repair cuts and abrasions, and to minimise bullet damage. Natural scarring is kept unless otherwise requested.
Because determining a Zebra’s sex is difficult, it’s not always included in hunting permits. One of the mares will lead the herd away, while the stallion acts as a rear guard during a flight; he will frequently pause and glance back, giving you a chance to shoot. The stallion will typically lead the herd to water and will graze alone or on the margins of the herd when the herd is together. If you’re going Zebra hunting, it might help to know these behaviours. In order to make an accurate assessment of trophies, good glassing is required. if you want a flat skin rather than a mount, note that the old stallions are likely to be battered and damaged. Early mornings and late afternoons are prime times for Zebra hunting.
The 30 calibre should be preferred over the.270 Win. Zebra hunting requires large caliber-expanding soft-points. This challenging equine requires precise shot placement to avoid a hard day and the loss of your trophy. Do not be scared to use more gun, rather than less.
The high heart/lung shot is best. Always sight up the front leg centre and shoot between one third and half way into the body. Your Zebra will drop to the shoulder/spinal shot if you shoot higher and forward through the shoulder blade centre. When hunting Zebra from the front, aim for the chest near the base of the neck.
When making an Zebra mount, careful planning is key to getting a high-quality result. When tanning and oiling the skins, only the best chemicals and methods are used. This ensures that the skins will last for many years.
Your preferred form for the Zebra will be chosen after taking your measurements into account, and the posture of your form will be changed at no extra cost. Full-mount Zebra trophies come with bases made to look like the animal’s natural habitat and made just for the Zebra mount.
The taxidermy process at Life-Form takes your prized Zebra trophy and gives it a whole new meaning by using only the best materials and drawing on more than 40 years of experience in the field.
When repair is needed, every effort is made to fix cuts and scrapes and lessen bullet damage. Existing scars are left alone unless the client asks for them to be taken away.
Using the helpful tips below, it’s important to take extra care of your prized Zebra trophy to make sure it stays in perfect shape for years to come.
The pricing of any trophy is subject to the costing stipulated per taxidermy order, quantity of trophies and preferred mounting options, along with additional requirements.
Should you wish to receive a quotation prior to the hunt, the taxidermist can generate such for you. Please contact [email protected]
Taxidermy is an art form that involves a complicated step-by-step process to make sure that each trophy looks just right and is of a high enough quality that it will last your whole life.
The time it takes a taxidermist to mount an animal might range from days to weeks, and possibly several months, depending on the quantity of trophies per taxidermy order, the display preferences, and volumes of client trophies to be produced, simultaneously, per production schedule.
This depends largely on the “what, how, when” factors. A taxidermy order also only becomes available for production scheduling upon receipt of the required deposit and trophy mounting instructions.
