Post #14439

Yes, male herbivorous horses also have tusks - just in case of a fight. Therefore, even despite its modest dimensions of 120-150 centimeters at the withers and a weight of about 450 kilograms, the animal can claw or kick its hoof so hard that it doesn’t seem small. Hematomas, tissue ruptures, fractures and acute pain kill the appetite of lions, hyenas and other toothy creatures. Fact number 3 - childhood of strict regime. Less than half of all cubs will survive to one year Despite the fact that females so zealously protect their young from predators and new harem males, only about 44% of all foals will celebrate their first birthday. The rest will be caught, eaten or trampled, covered by some kind of infection or overtaken by parasites, crippled by the lack of water or grass. But zebras are in no hurry to make new babies. Pregnancy in females lasts about a year, after which she needs a couple more years to raise her foal and recover. Therefore, despite their apparent mass appearance, zebras reproduce slowly and inefficiently. Each loss of a cub is a serious blow to the population. Fact number 4 - they don’t consider us as people. Why don't we tame cool striped horses? Because they are beaten on the head. Zebras are much more reactive than horses. They react faster and stronger to everything around them: a sharp wave of the hand, a flying package, a loud sound - in a split second they put the minke whale in a state of combat readiness. People have tried many times to domesticate them, but millions of years of evolution have given zebras one simple attitude - everyone around them wants to eat you. That’s why the animals react first: they bite, kick, rush wherever they look - and only then figure out what’s going on. Arguing with a frightened animal 5 times larger than yourself is obviously a losing proposition. There was a recent case when a domestic zebra bit its owner so badly that the man had to have his arm amputated. No, it's better to walk. Fact number 5 - they are terrible on the face, tender on the inside. Zebra can die from stress When striped animals are herded by helicopter, placed in enclosures, or otherwise restricted in space, their nervous system screams “Achtung!” A powerful cocktail of adrenaline, norepinephrine, cortisol and other stress hormones enters the bloodstream. Muscles are activated to the maximum. In terms of biology, this mechanism is very useful. It is he who helps quickly make his legs away from predators. But where to escape from the corral? But the body does not understand the hopelessness of the situation and continues to pump the zebra with hormones. Because of this, the muscles begin to break down, and the breakdown products of muscle fibers enter the blood. They poison the kidneys and heart - the animal dies in the next couple of hours or days. Treatment is ineffective. Other wild animals can exhibit such an acute reaction to stress, but in zebras it is associated with the impossibility of d