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Two Grant's zebras, a kind of plains zebra, standing on a dirt road among dry trees.
Photo: Hans Hillewaert, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Plains Zebra

Equus quagga (subspecies include Grant's zebra)

The most common zebra, a grass-grazing striped horse relative of eastern and southern Africa whose stripe pattern is one-of-a-kind on every animal. Grant's zebra is one kind.

🦓 Hoofed Mammals
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About the Plains Zebra

Plains zebras live from the grasslands of East Africa to the scrubby woodlands of southern Africa. They are grazers that eat mostly grass, with a few leaves and stems. A family group has one stallion, several mares and their foals, and many families gather together in loose herds. Every zebra's stripe pattern is unique, like a fingerprint.[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name
Equus quagga (subspecies include Grant's zebra)[1][2]
Size
Plains zebras stand 4.2 to 5 feet (1.3 to 1.5 m) tall.[1]
Weight
480 to 990 pounds (218 to 450 kg).[1]
Lifespan
Zebras live 12 to 17 years on average, depending on the species.[1]
Diet
Herbivore. Grazes mostly on grasses and sometimes browses on leaves and stems of bushes.[1]
Habitat
Grasslands and scrubby woodlands.[1]
Where it lives
Plains zebras range from East Africa to southern Africa.[1]
Group life
Family groups of one stallion, several mares and their young. Families gather into loose herds.[1]
Babies
Pregnancy lasts 12 to 14 months. A newborn foal weighs 55 to 88 pounds (25 to 40 kg).[1]
Conservation status
Near Threatened (IUCN Red List, plains zebra, assessed 2016).[2]

Fun facts

  • Each zebra has a unique stripe pattern. No two are alike.[1]
  • Zebras can run more than 40 miles per hour (64 km/h).[1]
  • A zebra foal can walk about 20 minutes after it is born and can run after an hour.[1]
  • Some plains zebras have faint brownish "shadow stripes" between their black stripes.[1]

Vocabulary

graze
To feed on grass growing in a field.
stallion
An adult male zebra or horse.
mare
An adult female zebra or horse.
foal
A baby zebra or horse.
subspecies
A group within a species that lives in a certain area and looks a little different from other groups.

See it in person

These zoos had this animal when we gathered our information, but animals sometimes move. Check the zoo's website or contact the zoo before you visit.

Sources

  1. [1] San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. “Zebra.” https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/zebra (accessed 2026-10-02)
  2. [2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Equus quagga (Plains Zebra).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/41013/45172424 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

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