This allows them to keep up
with the rest of the herd as it searches for food and water. Family groups stay
together within the larger group. Communication plays a key role in the herd as well;
the zebras communicate with a variety of sounds, such as barking and snorting, and
with facial expressions and ear position. They even greet each other with a ???smile?????”
a bared-teeth grimace that discourages aggression. Shared grooming further reinforces
the bonds between them; they nibble at one another to remove loose hair or to help
scratch those hard-to-reach spots.
Of course, the most prominent and recognizable feature of a zebra is its black and
white stripes. The pattern of stripes on a zebra is as distinct as a human??™s fingerprints;
in fact, scientists can identify individual zebras by comparing patterns, stripe
widths, coloring, and scars. The stripes help serve as protection against predators in
the wild such as leopards and lions; when the herd is grouped together, it is hard for
the cats to discern a specific zebra to pursue. Interestingly, zebras are attracted to
black and white stripes; even if the stripes are painted on a wall, a zebra will tend
to migrate to them.
The cover image is from Wood??™s Illustrated Natural History. The cover font is Adobe
ITC Garamond. The text font is Linotype Birka; the heading font is Adobe Myriad
Condensed; and the code font is LucasFont??™s TheSans Mono Condensed.
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