Grevy's Zebra (Equus grevyi) Fact Sheet: Summary

Describer (Date): Oustalet (1882)

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Perissodactyla

Family: Equidae

Genus: Equus

Species: E. grevyi

Body Weight: about 400 kg (882 lb)

Head/Body Length: 2.5-3.0 m (8.2-9.8 ft)

Tail Length: 55 cm (22 in)

Pelage: Narrowly spaced black and white stripes.

Range: from southern Ethiopia and northern Kenya

Habitat: arid, wooded and bush-covered grasslands and stony plains

IUCN Status: Endangered (2016 assessment)

CITES Status: Appendix I

Populations in the Wild: about 2,000 mature individuals

Locomotion: trot, gallop, and walk.

Activity Cycle: Active day and night; spend about 50% of time grazing; prefer to drink in the morning.

Social Groups: No herd system; female with young create sole lasting bonds.

Diet: Eat grasses, typically those low in protein. Consume more browse in times of drought.

Predators: Mainly targeted by lions; also leopards, spotted hyaenas, hunting dogs, and cheetah.

Sexual Maturity:  Males mature about 6 years of age while females begin to reproduce at 3-4 years.

Gestation: 390 days; the longest period of any horse species.

Litter Size: 1

Birth weight: 40 kg (88 lb)

Age at Weaning: about 7 months

Typical Life Expectancy:
Managed care: median life expectancy of about 11 years for males and 16-17 years for females

Feature Facts

• Subtle variations in a zebra's stripes allow each individual to be recognized.
• Evolutionary origin traced to North America
• Currently distributed in arid regions of southern Ethiopia and northern Kenya
• No herd system or permanent social bonds between adults
• Better adapted to dry conditions than domestic cattle
•  A San Diego Zoo conservation project, begun in 2004, helps support Kenyan Samburu pastoralist families who have set aside and protect 128,500 acres of prime Grevy's habitat in their homeland.