Niche of the African Zebra

An ecological niche can be defined as the relational position or role of an species in a population in an ecosystem. The niche of the zebra basically relies on where it lives, what it eats, and what it does. The African Zebras are herbivores, they feed on grass, fruits and leaves from trees and bushes. They live mainly in dry areas as the grasslands and the savannahs from Sudan to northern Zimbabwe in eastern Africa. Also they are the food for various carnivores for instance lions, tigers, cheetahs, hyenas and leopards, therefore they are the prey animals. The female zebra needs to be at least 2 to 4 years old before she can reproduce. Females become impregnants when they come together with males. They have a 12 month period of gestation. Zebras live among big groups called harems. Zebras trot and gallop but they are slower than the horses. They defend themselves from predators by biting or kicking the attacker. They spend their days walking around, eating and sleeping mostly. Zebras sleep standing up only if theres a group keeping an eye on predators. If one of them spots a threat it will bark loudly to warn the others.