Jihoafrické stepní zebry a jejich chov v Zoologické zahradě v Praze (Perissodactyla: Equidae) [Southern African Plains Zebras and their breeding in the Prague Zoo (Perissodactyla: Equidae)]

Pages

77–84

Citation

VOLF, Jiří a VOLF, Pavel. Jihoafrické stepní zebry a jejich chov v Zoologické zahradě v Praze (Perissodactyla: Equidae) [Southern African Plains Zebras and their breeding in the Prague Zoo (Perissodactyla: Equidae)]. Lynx, new series. Prague: National Museum, 2015, 46(1), 77–84. ISSN 0024-7774 (print), 1804-6460 (online). Also available from: https://www.nm.cz/en/periodicals/lns/46-1/jihoafricke-stepni-zebry-a-jejich-chov-v-zoologicke-zahrade-v-praze-perissodactyla-equidae-southern-african-plains-zebras-and-their-breeding-in-the-prague-zoo-perissodactyla-equidae

Lynx, new series | 2015/46/1

The Chapman’s zebras (Equus quagga chapmani) were kept at the Prague zoo in two periods, 1933–1945 and 1949–1968; the Damara zebras (E. q. antiquorum) in 1970–1997. Although both taxa lived under more or less identical breeding conditions, the Damara zebras showed higher adaptations to the climatic cycle – they gave births only in the warm period of the year, most frequently from May to July. Pregnancy lasted 12 months, sexual maturity was reached before completing two years of age (extraordinarily already at 20 months). The shortest periods between births in one mare were between 12–12 1/2 months. An extremely high fertility was shown by the mare Praha 3 – in the course of 15 years she gave birth to eleven foals, the last one at the age of 16 3/4 years; she also reached the longest age, 25 years, 8 days. The social status of individuals in a herd biases their basic behaviour; the level of activity of the Damara zebra individuals was in indirect relation to the level of their social status. Altogether seven skulls of the Chapman’s zebras and seven skulls of the Damara zebras formerly kept at the Prague and Dvůr Králové zoos are deposited in the collection of the National Museum, Prague.

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