ナショナルジオグラフィックのインスタグラム(natgeo) - 9月9日 19時30分

Photo by @Joel Sartore | This is Oasis, a 15-year-old Damara zebra that lives at the @Naples_zoo. She is the most influential member of the zoo’s zebra herd, with a dynamic personality and playful nature.

Have you ever wondered why zebras have stripes? There are five main hypotheses for what stripes do for this species. They are thought to: repel insects, provide camouflage through optical illusion, confuse predators, reduce body temperature, and help the animals recognize each other. Among the many theories, recent research found that zebras and certain blood-sucking insects inhabit the same places. Understanding how the stripe pattern impacts bug bites on this species may help researchers protect humans from disease-carrying insects! This species can digest taller, tougher grasses that other grazing animals have difficulty eating. As they migrate, they often move into new areas first. As they eat the high grasses, spurring more nutritious green plants to appear, allowing wildebeest and gazelles to roam in and eat. Some say zebras are white because the stripes end at their white belly. Others say black because when you shave the hair, the skin is mostly black. What do you think?
Follow @Joel Sartore for a close up of Oasis! #zebra #photoark #Damarazebra

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