Racing Stripes

We see some incredible markings seen on zebra individuals. The stallion in the top picture overleaf was particularly impressive. We observed both of these animals on the central Sasakwa plains on the same day, towards the end of the month.

It is largely genetics that determine these unusual markings in a zebra’s coat, and these genetic mutations that alter the production of melanin are normally rather rare.

Are these incredible differences in markings just by chance or is there something else at work here, affecting the genetic build-up of individuals in particular areas? There have been some fascinating studies on this topic recently, which are very interesting.