If you’ve ever seen a herd of zebras grazing on the African savanna, you were likely awestruck by their striking black and white striped coats. Zebras are iconic animals that everyone recognizes, but you may be wondering – what are the females called?
If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer to your question: female zebras are called mares, just like female horses. Now let’s dive into the details.
In this comprehensive article, we’ll cover everything you need to know about the terminology used to describe female zebras. We’ll explore zebra taxonomy, look at the specific words used for zebra mares, their babies, and groups of zebras. By the end, you’ll be a zebra terminology expert!
Zebra Taxonomy
Zebras belong to the genus Equus, which includes horses, donkeys, and zebras. Here is some fascinating information about the taxonomy and classification of zebras:
The Genus Equus
The genus Equus first emerged in North America around 4 million years ago and later spread to Eurasia, Africa, and South America. Horses, donkeys, and zebras all belong to this genus. There are currently seven living species in the genus Equus:
- Horse (Equus ferus caballus)
- Donkey (Equus africanus asinus)
- Onager (Equus hemionus)
- Kiang (Equus kiang)
- Grévy’s Zebra (Equus grevyi)
- Plains Zebra (Equus quagga)
- Mountain Zebra (Equus zebra)
Species in the Equus genus are united by their common physical traits such as a single-hoofed toe, long legs, a short tail, a long neck, a mane along the neck or back, and loud vocalizations. Amazingly, over the millennia, equids have adapted to an incredibly diverse range of habitats, from the cold mountains to scorching hot deserts.
Three Zebra Species
There are three living species of zebra, all native to Africa:
- Plains Zebra (Equus quagga) – the most common and geographically widespread species
- Grévy’s Zebra (Equus grevyi) – the largest and most threatened of the three species
- Mountain Zebra (Equus zebra) – the smallest and most primitive species
Plains zebras live in eastern and southern Africa and have several subspecies, including the ubiquitous Burchell’s zebra. Grevy’s zebras live in northern Kenya and Ethiopia. Mountain zebras are found in southwestern Angola, Namibia, and South Africa.
While plains and mountain zebras live in harems with one stallion and several mares, Grevy’s zebras have a different social structure. Grevy’s zebra stallions establish large territories which overlap with the territories of several mares.
This unique social structure may have evolved due to limited water resources in their arid habitat.
Sadly, two other zebra species have gone extinct in the last hundred years or so. The quagga was hunted to extinction in the late 1800s. The Cape mountain zebra was also nearly wiped out, with less than 100 individuals left by the 1950s.
Thanks to conservation efforts, their numbers have rebounded to over 1700 today.
It’s amazing to consider that while zebras may look quite similar to the untrained eye, they actually represent an evolutionarily diverse genus with a complex taxonomy! Their subtly unique coloring patterns, social structures, and geographic ranges reflect millions of years of adaptation and speciation.
Understanding the taxonomy of zebras allows us to better understand, conserve, and delight in their diversity.
Terminology for Female Zebras
Mare
A female zebra is called a mare once she reaches adulthood. Similar to horses, a zebra mare is mature enough to be bred at around 1.5-2 years old. Mares are extremely protective mothers and form tight family bands with their foals and stallion partner to defend against predators on the African savanna.
Zebra mares have a gestation period of 12-14 months and usually give birth to a single foal. On very rare occasions, twins may be produced. At birth, a zebra foal weighs around 50-75 pounds and will continue to nurse from its mother for up to 16 months as it matures.
A mare shepherds her foal and teaches it life skills like where to find water holes and nutritious vegetation. Their strong mother-foal bond lasts until the next foal is born or the subadult foal leaves to join a bachelor herd.
Filly
A female zebra offspring is called a filly. Fillies are highly precocious after birth and can stand on wobbly legs just 30 minutes later. Within a few hours, a newborn filly can run alongside her mother at speeds up to 35 mph!
This quick development is crucial for avoiding predators on the African plains.
Zebra fillies will continue to nurse and stay by their mother’s side for the first 12-16 months. Eventually, the filly will be weaned and will begin grazing on her own. She will leave her natal herd at around 2-4 years old to avoid breeding with related stallions and will join another family unit.
Fillies reach sexual maturity at 1.5-2 years old. At this point, they would be considered a mare and can begin reproducing. The average lifespan of a zebra mare in the wild is around 25 years.
| Age Range | Terminology |
| Birth – 1 year | Filly |
| 1-2 years | Subadult Filly |
| 2+ years | Mare |
To learn more about zebra terminology, check out this educational resource from the San Diego Zoo: https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/zebra.
Zebra Offspring Terminology
Foal
A baby zebra is called a foal. Zebra foals are pretty adorable with their fuzzy coats and spindly legs. They typically weigh around 30-50 pounds at birth and will stand and start nursing within an hour. Foals are able to run alongside their mothers after just a few hours.
A foal’s stripes are brown and white at birth, becoming black and white as it matures. The fuzzy birth coat sheds out at 3-4 months and is replaced by the short, sleek coat of an adult.
Zebra foals are precocial, meaning they are born relatively mature and mobile compared to other baby mammals like horses or humans. This is an adaptation that helps zebras survive in the wild. Newborn foals need to be able to keep up with the herd and escape predators like lions and hyenas.
While foals can stand and walk at birth, they do still need their mothers for nutrition and protection in the early months of life.
Zebra foals will continue nursing from their mothers for 6-8 months, though they begin nibbling on grass after just a few weeks. By one year old, the foal is ready to be weaned and live independent of its mother, though it may still loosely associate with its natal herd.
Zebras typically live around 25 years in the wild. Females begin breeding at 3-4 years old and give birth to one foal after a gestation of 12 months.
Colt and Filly
Male and female zebra foals are called colts and fillies respectively. These terms come from horse terminology and are used until the zebra reaches adulthood at around 1 year old. So a zebra under a year old would be called either a colt or filly, while an adult male is a stallion and an adult female is a mare.
It can be tricky to distinguish colts from fillies just by looking at them. However, some clues include:
- Fillies tend to be slightly smaller and more delicate looking than colts.
- Colts often have larger heads and necks relative to their body size.
- Fillies have two teats while colts have none, though this is hard to see under their fuzzy baby coat.
In equine species like horses and zebras, colts tend to play rougher while fillies engage in more social grooming behaviors. However, personalities vary a lot among individual foals. By their first birthday, colts and fillies transition into stallions and mares as they reach sexual maturity.
Knowing the terminology for zebra offspring helps us better understand the life cycle and social structure of these unique stripey creatures. Next time you see a baby zebra, you’ll know just what to call the adorable little furball!
Collective Nouns for Groups of Zebras
Herd
The most common collective noun used for a group of zebras is a “herd.” This term refers to a family group consisting of a stallion, several mares, and their offspring. Zebra herds are highly structured, with the adult females and their young forming close bonds.
Herds provide protection from predators and allow knowledge to be passed between generations.
Zebra herds vary in size, but typically range from 5 to 30 members. The herd is led by a dominant stallion, who uses visual displays and vocalizations to defend his harem of mares. When young male zebras reach maturity, they leave the natal herd to join bachelor groups until they can attract their own mares.
Herds often mix and merge, providing an opportunity for zebras to find new mates. Larger aggregations of hundreds of zebras may form when resources are abundant.
Dazzle
Another term used to describe a group of zebras is a “dazzle.” This whimsical word refers to the stunning black and white stripes that zebras exhibit. When zebras cluster together in the wild, their stripes seem to dazzle and confuse predators through an optical illusion.
This unique adaptation may make it difficult for lions and hyenas to pick out individual zebra targets from the stripes.
Some scientists believe the stripes break up the zebra’s outline so it blends into the patterned grasslands in which it lives. The stripes may also deter biting flies, which tend to avoid striped surfaces. So a dazzle of zebras utilizes their stripes for camouflage and protection.
The striking patterns continue to dazzle and delight those who observe these iconic African grazers.
Zeal
A more formal term used less commonly is a “zeal” of zebras. This collective noun refers to a group bound together by a common enthusiasm or interest. Zebras within a herd must share a zeal for staying together in order to reap the benefits of safety in numbers.
By maintaining close family bonds, zebras can alert each other to approaching predators and work together to defend vulnerable herd members.
Within a zeal, zebras take turns grazing so some animals can stay alert to their surroundings at all times. They are devoted to protecting each other and their offspring, even putting themselves in harm’s way. If a predator attacks an individual, other zebras will rally to chase it away.
The shared vigilance and tightknit nature of a zeal allows zebras to survive in the harsh, dangerous African landscape. Their enthusiasm for supporting one another is key to their continued success as a species.
Conclusion
Now you know the answer to the question – female zebras are called mares! You also learned the specific terminology used for zebra fillies, foals, and groups of dazzling zebras. Understanding the proper terms to use when referring to zebras will help you speak knowledgeably about these amazing striped equines.
Next time you spot a herd of mares and foals, you can impress your friends with your new zebra vocabulary.
