9 Weird Zebra Facts

Hello! Here are 9 fun and easy zebra facts made just for a 6-year-old. Read them one by one and try the little activities at the end!

1. Every zebra's stripes are different. Just like your fingerprint, no two zebras have the same stripe pattern. That helps them tell each other apart.
2. Their skin under the fur is dark. Under the stripes the skin is usually dark (almost black), even where the fur looks white.
3. Stripes can confuse predators. When many zebras run together, their stripes make it hard for a lion to pick one to chase.
4. Stripes may keep bugs away. Some biting flies don’t like landing on stripes, so stripes can help zebras avoid annoying bites.
5. Zebras can run very fast. They can sprint quickly — faster than a bike — to escape danger.
6. A baby zebra is called a foal. A foal can stand and run within an hour of being born so it can stay with its family.
7. Zebras live in groups called herds. They stick together, look after each other, and groom by nibbling each other gently like a hug.
8. They make funny sounds. Zebras bray, neigh, and bark to talk to each other — sometimes it sounds a bit like a donkey.
9. They sometimes sleep standing up. Zebras can doze standing so they can run quickly if a danger comes, but they lie down for deeper sleep.

Quick activities: Which fact did you like best? Try drawing a zebra and give it the silliest stripes you can imagine. Or stand up and run in place like a foal learning to run!