Grant's Zebra

My last post was on the Grevy's zebra, one of three species of zebra. The other two zebra species are the mountain zebra and the plains zebra. The plains zebra has a number of subspecies, one of which is the Grant's zebra, the other zebra we saw on our trip to Kenya and Tanzania. The Grant's zebra is the most populous of all zebras.

I believe this big group of zebras was in Serengeti NP. Photo by Michael Lewin. 

Another very different landscape: in Ngorongoro Crater. Photo by Judy.

In the Serengeti. 

In a burned area of the Serengeti.

Another area of the Serengeti.

Ngorongoro Crater. 

Serengeti NP.

The Grant's zebra has vertical stripes in front, horizontal stripes on the back legs, and diagonal stripes on the rump and hind flanks. Some of the northern Grant's zebras do not have a mane. They grow as tall as four feet, seven inches (presumably at the shoulder), about eight inches shorter than the Grevy's zebra, and weigh as much as 660 pounds, about 330 pounds less than the Grevy's zebra.

We heard them bray on a number of occasions. It seemed like a warning to others that we were near. 

Mother and child in Buffalo Springs, also an area that had Grevy's zebras. Photo by Steven Shuel.

Mother and child in Ngorongoro Crater. Photo by Mark Edwards.

Youngster in Lake Nakuru National Park. The brown stripes will turn black as it gets older. Photo by Mark Edwards.

A youngster trying to nurse in the Serengeti. 

Photo by Michael Lewin

Photo by Michael Lewin

Photo by Esmee Tooke

Some of the Grant's zebras do not have manes, like this one in Lake Nakuru NP. 

By the time we finished our trip we were pretty blase about zebras. We saw so many of them. But as I come home and look at pictures again, some of the excitement is rekindled. They were a lot of fun to watch. So I share some of my favorite zebra pictures.

The transition of stripes in the hindquarters is very different from the Grevy's zebra. The stripes are more diagonal on the hindquarters. Photo by Steven Shuel.

Mother and child with Coke's hartebeest in Nairobi NP.

Youngster with impalas in Lake Nakuru NP. 

Photo by John Mirau

Note the stripes continue on down the tail.

The stripes continue on to the belly. Photo by Esmee Tooke.

Photo by Mark Edwards