Why do zebras have stripes?
Show answer & explanation
Answer: Repel biting flies
Repel biting flies ✓ — Correct! Experiments with striped coats on horses found far fewer successful horsefly landings, so stripes give flies fewer chances to bite and spread disease. Exactly how the pattern disrupts a fly's approach is still being studied; the measured effect is on landings, and other stripe benefits remain debated.
Camouflage in tall grass — Wrong. Black-and-white stripes do not blend into golden savanna grass; zebras stand out. The camouflage idea has little support, while the fly-landing effect has been measured directly in experiments.
Confuse predators when running — Wrong. The 'motion dazzle' idea was popular, but field studies have not shown that stripes confuse lions or hyenas during a hunt; predators catch zebras at ordinary rates. The best-supported benefit involves biting flies, not predators.
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