Why’d the Zebra Cross the Road?
Those black and white striped crosswalks are called Zebra Crossings in countries outside of the U.S., and they might fit the camouflage defense a Zebra’s stripes provide a bit better than this dirt road. “Why do zebras have stripes at all? Scientists aren’t sure, but many theories center on their utility as some form of camouflage. The patterns may make it difficult for predators to identify a single animal from a running herd and distort distance at dawn and dusk. Or they may dissuade insects that recognize only large areas of single-colored fur or act as a kind of natural sunscreen. Because of their uniqueness, stripes may also help zebras recognize one another,” (National Geographic).
See more Serengeti photos at Explore.org.
