Do you know? The black and white stripes on zebras have puzzled scientists for nearly 150 years. Why do zebras have such a unique pattern? What do they do? This article will uncover the mysteries of zebra stripes and give you a deeper understanding of this wonderful animal.
1. Common explanations for zebra streaking
There is a lot of speculation about the role of zebra stripes, the most common of which are the following:
- Camouflage: Some believe that when a herd of zebras gallops, the stripes on their bodies dazzle predators and distract them, thus escaping being eaten.
- Heat dissipation: Others believe that black streaks heat up faster than white streaks, creating a circulating air flow that cools zebras, which is important for zebras living in the hot African savannah.
- Attraction to the opposite sex: Still others believe that stripes are markers of mutual recognition and mating between zebras, and different species and individuals of zebras have different stripe patterns, which can enhance attraction to the opposite sex.
2. Scientific verification of zebra stripes
However, none of these hypotheses have been scientifically confirmed. In fact, through experiments and observations, scientists have found:
- Camouflage: Using a computer test, lions and hyenas cannot tell the stripes unless they are very close. Moreover, zebras usually defend themselves by living in groups and running, not by stealth.
- Dissipation: A recent study also disproved the assumption that buckets covered with zebra skins heat up the same rate as buckets covered with regular horse skins. Moreover, zebras are no more resistant to heat than other animals without stripes.
- Attraction to the opposite sex: This hypothesis has nothing to do with ecology. Moreover, zebra streaks are fixed in the embryo and do not change with the environment or the individual.
3. The real role of zebra stripes
So, what exactly does the stripes on zebras do? After years of research, scientists have finally found the most reasonable answer: prevent fly bites.
Flies can be said to be the mortal enemies of zebras. Zebras are highly susceptible to deadly diseases, including trypanosomiasis, African horse blast and equine plague, which are all transmitted by horse flies and tsetse flies. They are also very vulnerable to insect attacks: the hairs on their hair are unusually short compared to other herbivores such as antelopes, making it easier for flies to find blood vessels through pierced mouthparts.
And the stripes of zebras are the protective color against flies. The scientists found that in areas with high numbers of horse flies, fine stripes appeared on the legs of three zebra species and African wild asses. Studies have found that horse flies cannot identify targets with black and white stripes. They painted a horse with black and white stripes on the left side and normal skin on the right. As a result, the striped side had almost no bites, while the other side was bitten several times.
Scientists speculate that black and white stripes may disrupt the fly 's optic flow, which senses the dynamic movement of the target. Insects use light flow to measure their distance from objects to correct speed. Cuttlefish spitting ink is a similar principle to escape enemies.
#斑马#