The Plains or Common Zebra (Equus quagga, formerly Equus burchellii) is a member of the horse family indigenous to the plains of Africa. It is available in Zoo Tycoon, Zoo Tycoon 2, both DS games and Zoo Tycoon: The Board Game.
Description[]
The Plains Zebra is one of three species of zebra that are indigenous to Africa, the other two being the larger Grevy's Zebra and the smaller Mountain Zebra. All species of zebra can be identified from other equids by the black-and-white stripes that span across their bodies. In the Plains Zebra, these uniquely run all the way around the animal's belly and, in some subspecies, may also feature faded shadow-stripes in between the regular stripes. The purpose of a zebra's stripes is debated, with proposed reasons including identification among individuals, as each zebra has its own unique stripe pattern, confusing predators in a herd or deterring flying insects.
The Plains Zebra lives on the African savannah and feeds almost exclusively on grass, though they will also eat leaves, shrubs, herbs and twigs, especially if grass is scarce. Zebras typically live in groups known as Dazzles or Herds, lead by a dominant mare and typically consisting of a single male stallion and several other mares, along with their foals.
Zoo Tycoon[]
The Plains Zebra is an adoptable animal in Zoo Tycoon and is available at the start of freeform mode. It is also present in a number of scenarios, including Seasideville Zoo, Forest Zoo and African Savannah Zoo.
The Plains Zebra is a relatively easy animal to care for. It is a savannah animal and requires only a small pool of fresh water as additional terrain. They share the same ideal enclosure set-up as the Thomson's Gazelle and the two animals can be easily mixed. They breed easily and can tolerate small spaces, but they are not too popular with guests.
The plains zebra is a social animal, requiring at least three individuals to be happy. Their favorite foliage is Tall Grass and only require a very small amount of foliage and rocks. Due to a coding oversight, the plains zebra is not able to maximize its habitat suitability, the maximum the player can achieve is 91% though the player can reach 98% if they go over the foliage limit. The plains zebra can use multiple different shelters, including the Wood, Concrete and Lean-to shelters, getting the most suitability out of the Large Lean-to shelter.
Zoo Tycoon 2[]
The Plains Zebra is an adoptable animal in Zoo Tycoon 2, where it is known as the Common Zebra. It is once again a savannah animal and is unlocked after obtaining 1 and a half stars in Campaign and Challenge mode. The common zebra is featured in several scenarios and challenges, including the Zookeeper in Training campaign, where the player must take a photo of a zebra running around and a zebra using a scratching post.
The common zebra eats hay and can use the scratching post and salt lick. They are easy to mix with several other animals, such as the Thomson's Gazelle and African Buffalo. If the player has African Adventure installed, the common zebra can form herds, lead by a male, though this is now known to be incorrect, as zebra herds are lead by females. If there are two or more males in an enclosure, they will occasionally fight each other.
If the player has Extinct Animals installed, the common zebra can interbreed with the Quagga. When a female zebra mates with a male quagga they will have a 25% chance of birthing a quagga and a 75% chance of birthing a zebra, however if a female quagga mates with a male zebra, the birth will always result in a quagga as there is no coding present for if the father is a zebra.
 Zoopedia
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| Class: Mammals (Mammalia) Order: Odd-Toed Ungulates (Perissodactyla) Family: Horses / Asses / Zebra (Equidae) Genus: Equus Species: burchelli Subspecies: boehmi
To unlock the common zebra in challenge or campaign games, you must earn a 1-1/2-star zoo fame rating for your zoo. The zebra, a member of the horse family, has an eye-catching coat of black and white stripes. Zebras are found only in Africa, but their remarkable markings make them among the most familiar mammals in the world. There are three species of zebras, each with a distinctive stripe pattern: Grevy's zebra, the mountain zebra, and the plains zebra (also known as Burchell's zebra). Zebras are members of the family Equidae, which also includes horses and asses. The earliest known ancestor of the animals in this family was a small animal called Hyracotherium, more commonly known as Eohippus, which lived 60 million years ago, during the Pleistocene Epoch. Direct ancestors of the modern horse, ass, and zebra appeared in Europe, Africa, and Asia about 4 million years ago, during the Pliocene Epoch. Like other members of the horse family, zebras are primarily grazing animals, feeding on coarse grass. Zebras face many predators, particularly lions and hyenas, but over the last 200 years humans have posed a greater threat to their survival. The quagga, a zebra with stripes on its head and neck, but often none on its sides and hindquarters, lived in southern Africa until the 1870s, when it was hunted to extinction. Today, both Grevy's zebra and the mountain zebra are endangered by hunting and habitat loss. |
 zootycoon.com Description
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| Zebras are found only in Africa, but their incredible black and white markings make them among the most familiar mammals in the world. Zebras stand closely together in herds so that their patterns confuse predators such as lions. Zebras may also be able to recognize other zebras by their unique striping pattern. |
Other Games[]
DS Games[]
The plains zebra is an adoptable animal in both Zoo Tycoon DS and Zoo Tycoon 2 DS, where it functions much like its PC counterparts. In Zoo Tycoon 2 DS, it is identified simply as Zebra and is one of eight animals that can be adopted from the start.
Zoo Tycoon: The Board Game[]
The plains zebra is an adoptable animal in Zoo Tycoon: The Board Game and is one of the 23 Main Species that can be adopted during the summer months. As a Main Species, it possesses its own meeple. It is classed as a Level 1 ungulate and, as in previous games, is a savannah animal.
As a level 1 animal, the plains zebra can be adopted at any time without restriction. It is a social animal and requires at least four individuals to be happy. It can live as a herd with a single male or as an all-male bachelor herd. The plains zebra is compatible with Co-Species and can be mixed with the Fischer's Lovebird, Meerkat, Blue Wildebeest or Dama Gazelle. It is also part of the Serengeti National Park Cooperation, alongside the Common Ostrich, Lion, Black Rhinoceros, Giraffe, Blue Wildebeest and Fischer's lovebird.
Gallery[]
Zoo Tycoon[]
Zoo Tycoon 2[]
Zoo Tycoon: The Board Game[]
Trivia[]
- According to the Zoopedia in Zoo Tycoon 2, the subspecies of common zebra in the game is the Grant's Zebra (Equus burchellii boehmi). Since then, it has been changed to Equus quagga boehmi, alongside the other common zebra subspecies.
- Additionally, the "burchelli" part of the scientific name is misspelled, having only one "i" at the end instead of two. This was a common spelling error at the time.
- In the Zoo Tycoon games, zebras are easy to keep in mixed exhibits with other herbivores, however, in real life zebras are notoriously aggressive when kept alongside other animals in captivity and will frequently annoy giraffes or other hoofstock. This can be carefully managed in some facilities.
| Zoo Tycoon DS animals | |
|---|---|
| Standard Animals | African Buffalo • African Elephant • African Lion • African Warthog • American Bighorn Sheep • American Bison • Arctic Wolf • Bengal Tiger • Black Bear • Black Leopard • Black Rhinoceros • California Sea Lion • Cheetah • Chimpanzee • Clouded Leopard • Common Wildebeest • Dromedary Camel • Emperor Penguin • Gemsbok • Giant Anteater • Giant Panda • Giraffe • Gray Wolf • Greater Flamingo • Grizzly Bear • Hippopotamus • Ibex • Jaguar • Leopard • Lowland Gorilla • Mandrill • Markhor • Moose • Okapi • Olive Baboon • Ostrich • Plains Zebra • Polar Bear • Red Kangaroo • Saltwater Crocodile • Siberian Tiger • Snow Leopard • Spotted Hyena • Thomson's Gazelle • White Bengal Tiger |
| Unlockable Content | Asian Elephant • Kouprey • Onager • Orangutan • Unicorn |
| Zoo Tycoon 2 DS animals | |
|---|---|
| Standard Animals | African Elephant • Black Panther • Black Rhinoceros • California Sea Lion • Cheetah • Chimpanzee • Dolphin • Dromedary Camel • Galapagos Giant Tortoise • Giant Sable Antelope • Gray Wolf • Greater Flamingo • Grizzly Bear • Komodo Dragon • Lion • Masai Giraffe • Moose • Nile Crocodile • Ostrich • Orangutan • Polar Bear • Pygmy Hippopotamus • Red Kangaroo • Spanish Lynx • Wolverine • Zebra |
| Star Animals | American Beaver • Emperor Penguin • Giant Panda • Koala • Mountain Gorilla • Sea Otter |
| Amazing Animals | Saber-toothed Tiger • Triceratops • Unicorn • Yeti |