• Question: Is a Zebra black with white stripes or white with black stripes?

    Asked by hannahroberts to Allan, Angela, Diva, Harriet, Nathan on 27 Jun 2012.
    • Photo: Nathan Langford

      Nathan Langford answered on 27 Jun 2012:

      I know a joke that goes like that (but it involves accents, so I won’t write it down).

      Unfortunately, not only do I not know the answer to the question – I don’t even know if there *is* an answer to your question.

      Hopefully one of the others can step in…

      Cheers,
      Nathan.

    • Photo: Harriet Groom

      Harriet Groom answered on 27 Jun 2012:

      The black stripes are black as a pigment in the zebra is allowed to get into the hair. The white stripes happen when something stops the pigment getting in so you could maybe think of the zebra as black with white stripes (zebras also have dark skin under their fur). People don’t really know exactly what controls the pattern of the stripes but we know it is controlled by your genes and the decisions are made in the developing embryo. There’s an interesting article here http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/life/zoology/mammals/zebra-stripes.htm

    • Photo: Diva Amon

      Diva Amon answered on 27 Jun 2012:

      Hey hannahroberts,
      I think scientists arent 100% sure right now but evidence seems to suggest that zebras are black with white stripes. According to New Scientist, the evidence says black with white stripes. They say that as an early embryo, zebras are totally black and the white stripes only appear at a later embryonic stage.
      It is also thought that zebras evolved to have this funny color pattern of black and white stripes to protect themselves from bloodsucking insects. The stripes confuse them and so they prefer to bite plain coloured animals.

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