Tira the foal appears to be pseudo-melanistic. Also referred to as abundism, this genetic anomaly is a variant of pigmentation, characterised by dark spots or enlarged stripes, which cover a large part of the body of the animal, making it appear melanistic. One other example of abundism is the ‘king’ cheetah.
It’s
going to be a difficult life for little Tira, as most zebras with such unusual
colouration stand out from the herd and make easy targets for predators. He may
also suffer a bit more than others from biting flies as latest research shows
that zebras’ stripes act as a deterrent towards flies and other blood-sucking
parasites. In Africa, flies carry dangerous debilitating diseases such as
trypanosomiasis and African horse sickness which cause wasting and often death.
Therefore it is important that zebras utilise both behavioural defences
(running away and tail swishing) and morphological striping to avoid flies.
But
for now Tira seems to be fitting in well with the rest of his herd in the
Maasai Mara, followed closely by many keen wildlife photographers and guides,
so here’s hoping he will do just fine! ---
Africa Geographic
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