what is the real color of zebra? white stripes or black stripes?

Answer 1

They are black with white stripes and the stripes serve several reasons.

1: It allows the herd to blend into one mass making it harder for predators to pick individuals out.

2: The stripes over their rump are like a finger print and it makes it simpler for the young to pick out mama in the mess.

3: The black and white striping serves as a body temp regulator. If they were solid black they would melt, if they were solid white they would fry. The mixture helps cool the body but also keeps it warm.

4: They have yet to figure out exactly why but for some reason pests (flies, parasites, etc) are either turned away or not drawn to the pattern. Like I said though, they are still trying to figure out exactly how that one works.


EDIT: I am sorry Mr P, how did I not answer the question? They asked what the color of the zebra is and I said, they are black with white stripes. How is that not an answer exaclty?

Answer 2

Not even the experts can agree!

Black with white stripes:

"Physical description: Height 4-5ft. Zebras can weigh up to 300kg and become up to 2.40 meters long. Each Zebra has its own stripe pattern. Zebras are black with white stripes."
http://whozoo.org/Intro98/lorijenn/lorjen21.htm


White with black (and sometimes grey) stripes:

"Each zebra species has a different stripe pattern, and no two individuals within a species have exactly the same markings. The Grévy’s zebra has narrow stripes set closely together. Horizontal stripes on the haunches, shoulders, and legs are short and fine and extend all the way down the legs to the hooves. The mountain zebra has wider stripes than the Grévy’s zebra, particularly on its rump, while the plains zebra has the widest stripes of all. Of the three species, the plains zebra is the only one with stripes that wrap around from the back to the belly; in the other two species, the underside is completely or mainly white. The plains zebra is also the only species that sometimes has faint gray markings called shadow stripes between the main black stripes on its sides."
http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/RefArticle.aspx?refid=761575094

Answer 3

Coyote does not answer your question. She only is stating why they are black and white stripped.

Zebras are black or dark animals with white stripes and their bellies have a large white blotch for camouflage purposes.[2] Some zebras have brown "shadow stripes" in between the white and black coloring.

It is believed that zebras have a dark background for the following three reasons: (1) white equids would not survive well in the African plains or forests: (2) The quagga, an extinct Plains zebra subspecies, had the zebra striping pattern in the front of the animal, but had a dark rump; (3) when the region between the pigmented bands becomes too wide, secondary stripes emerge, as if suppression was weakening. The fact that some zebras have pure white bellies and legs is not very strong evidence for a white background, since many animals of different colors have white or light colored bellies and legs.

Answer 4

The zebra has both white n black stripes