ZEBRA
			Phylum: Class: Order: Family: Chordata Mammalia Perissodactyla Equidae

The main distinction among zebras, horses, and asses is that zebras have striped coats. Also, besides differences in their skulls and teeth, only zebras' forelegs sport wartlike knobs, called chestnuts. The life-span of a horse and a zebra are about equal; the record is 29 years. The zebra's main predator is the lion. Three species of zebra exist: Burchell's zebra, the mountain zebra, and Grevy's zebra.

Burchell's zebra are the most common. They live from Zululand and Namibia in the south to Somalia and Sudan in the north. Their stripes reach from under the belly. On the flanks, they widen and curve backward toward the rump, forming a Y-shaped pattern. There are many races of Burchell's zebra. Features vary form south to north.

The mountain zebra, the smallest of the species, lives to the south and southwest of the range of Burchell's zebra. These more compact zebras have a prominent dewlap, or fold of skin, under the throat and the stripes always stop short of the belly.

Grevy's zebra, in Somalia, eastern Ethiopia, and northern Kenya, is the tallest zebra, standing 4.5 ft (135 cm) at the shoulder. It has an unstriped belly and the stripes on the rest of its body are thinner and closer together than in Burchell's zebra. Grevy's zebra has very large ears.