Burchell's zebra is a southern subspecies of the plains zebra. It is named after the British explorer and naturalist William John Burchell. Common names include bontequagga, Damaraland zebra, and Zululand zebra. Burchell's zebra is the only subspecies of zebra which may be legally farmed for human consumption.
Burchell's zebra
Male Burchell's zebra at Etosha National Park, Namibia
A pair of Hartmann’s zebra at Lake Nakuru National Park, Kenya. Notice there are no shadow stripes, and the stripes extend all the way to the hooves.
Burchell's zebra drinking at a waterhole at Etosha National Park
The plains zebra is the most common and geographically widespread species of zebra. Its range is fragmented, but spans much of southern and eastern Africa south of the Sahara. Six or seven subspecies have been recognised, including the extinct quagga which was thought to be a separate species. More recent research supports variations in zebra populations being clines rather than subspecies.
Plains zebra
The skeleton exhibit in the Kunming Natural History Museum of Zoology, Kunming, Yunnan, China
Close-up of striping pattern of zebra in Tanzania
Zebras migrating with wildebeest in the Maasai Mara
