Zebra stripes

By T. M. Caro

Subjects: Animals, color, Color, Protective coloration (Biology), Protective coatings, Stripes, Zebras

Description: Why do zebras have stripes? Popular explanations range from camouflage to confusion of predators, social facilitation, and even temperature regulation. It is a challenge to test these proposals on large animals living in the wild, but using a combination of careful observations, simple field experiments, comparative information, and logic, Caro concludes that black-and-white stripes are an adaptation to thwart biting fly attack.