WHY they have this zig-zag color pattern, though, is a whole other “Mundane Mystery” for another time, since scientists aren’t really sure why zebras look like they do (though I think we can all agree that the zebra stripe is the most stylish in nature). So, what’s the final answer to our question? Well, if we’re talking genetically, zebras grow black hair by default, so that makes them black with white stripes. Most animal skin cells produce melanin, which gives human skin, eyes, and hair their color. Underneath the zebra’s striped coat is actually black skin. A good portion of a zebra’s melanocytes create its high-in-melanin black fur, which makes up about half of its coat, while other melanocytes are, in essence, “turned off”, and produce a zebra’s white hairs (which contain no melanin). A popular question about zebras is whether they are white with black stripes or black with white stripes. The melanocytes in zebra fur follicles ultimately determine whether particular strands will be dark or light based on where they are on the body. The real answer is found in a group of zebras’ cells called melanocytes, which produce the pigment melanin that gives zebra hair its color (and not only zebras, but all animals’ hair & skin). At first glance, it may seem the opposite - after all, the black lines of many zebras end up on the belly and towards the inside of the legs, revealing the rest as white. You will be surprised to know that certain. One of the most logical answers behind why zebras have black and white stripes is protection from biting flies, thermoregulation, and protection from predators. So, is that it then? They’re white with black stripes? Nope, not quite. Zebras are believed to be white with black stripes most of the body of the animal is covered in black stripes. Are zebras born with black stripes or white stripes Whats important about zebras is that their white fur represents an absence of melanin white is not its. The majority of zebra hair is white, including the hair on their bellies & the inner parts of their legs (which is where their stripes seem to diminish). But that doesn’t necessarily mean their stripes are white on black. And it all comes down to zebra hair microbiology, where their dual-colored pattern originates.īeneath their fur, zebras are actually black skinned. When zebras got loose in Prince Georges County recently, the fiasco brought a great question into the light: are zebras black with white stripes, or white with black stripes? I know, it sounds a bit philosophical, but there actually is a definitive scientific answer.
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