# What Do Zebras Eat?

> What zebras eat: Herbivore, foraging style, and seasonal shifts in Savanna, grassland, and open plains.

- **Species:** Zebra (*Equus quagga*)
- **Conservation status:** Near Threatened
- **Diet:** Herbivore
- **Habitat:** Savanna, grassland, and open plains
- **Lifespan:** 20–25 years in the wild
- **Top speed:** 65 km/h (40 mph)
- **Canonical HTML:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/zebra/what-do-zebra-eat/
- **Parent profile:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/zebra/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Quick answer

The zebra is a wild member of the horse family native to Africa, instantly recognizable by its bold black-and-white stripes, which are as unique to each animal as a fingerprint. Plains zebras live in social herds, can run up to 65 km/h (40 mph), and typically live around 25 years in the wild. The stripes are thought to deter biting flies and confuse predators.

## Who should skip this page

Skip this if you need a captive feeding plan from a veterinarian. This page is wild diet, not a pet-care sheet.

## Why the stripes?

No two zebras have the same stripe pattern. Scientists believe the stripes help in several ways: they deter biting flies that struggle to land on striped surfaces, they make it harder for predators to single out one animal in a moving herd, and they may help with temperature regulation.

## Help protect the Zebra

The zebra is listed as Near Threatened, with habitat loss the leading threat to its future.

[Donate to protect habitat](https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/appeals/habitats/)

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/zebra/what-do-zebra-eat/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.