A portrait of a Plains Zebra (Equus quagga), the most common and widespread species of zebra. The unique stripes and behaviors of zebras make these among the animals most familiar to people. They can be found in a variety of habitats throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. The name "zebra" comes from the Old Portuguese word zevra which means "wild ass". Zebra stripes are typically vertical on the head, neck, forequarters, and main body, with horizontal stripes at the rear and on the legs of the animal. It was previously believed that zebras were white animals with black stripes. Embryological evidence, however, shows that the animal's background color is black and the white stripes are additions.Photo: Muhammad Mahdi Karim
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