Why the zebra got its stripes Posted on 4 March 2019 Tags:wildlife, zebra stripes It’s the fabled mystery of our childhood: how – or more importantly, why – does the zebra have stripes? Is it an evolutionary inheritance for evading predators or a nifty design that helps to keep them cool? According to scientists, zebras’ black-and-white-striped coats keep flies and other tiny pests from bothering them. Image: Johan Siggesson In a recent study, researchers at the University of Bristol and the University of California disguised horses as zebras and observed the behaviour of parasitic tabanid horse flies approaching captive zebras and horses in Somerset, England. Horse flies are particularly bothersome and suck the blood of host horses. Zebras, however, are not as troubled by these flies as their stripes confuse the predatory pests, who have low-resolution eyesight and can’t tell the difference between black and white; they either have a failed landing, bump into the zebra or miss the animal entirely. Some flies do manage to stick their landings, but can’t stick around for as long as they do on horses, being less likely to probe the zebra’s skin for blood. Similar observations and results were apparent in the case of tsetse flies, who linger longer on horses than zebras. Of all 11 zebra species, every animal enjoys this evolutionary privilege. Some zebras in hotter parts of the continent have more more pronounced striping. Perhaps this stripy discovery is the clue to avoiding mozzies and other pests in the hotter months. Related Posts The Lady in the Landy: Carla Geyser 7 February 2023 "We cannot sit back and wait for a miracle to happen; every one of us... read more 88 countries agree on shark fin regulation in historic vote 22 November 2022 Panama was host to CITES in November 2022. For the first time in history, 88... read more The big question after Plett’s fatal shark attack: Why? 27 September 2022 By now, we know that sharks are not the mindless killing machines that horror movies... read more PREV ARTICLE NEXT ARTICLE
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