12 Zebra Coloring Pages Destined For More Than Black And White
We know what you’re probably thinking: But Scary Mommy, how can my kids have fun and color zebra coloring pages when zebras are already black and white? Our answer: “Uhhh, who said zebras have to be black and white?” Coloring offers a ton of benefits and teaches some essential life skills like focus, self-control and self-regulation, and hand-eye coordination. But coloring doesn’t always teach kids how to use their imagination — at least not without some prompting. And by prompting, we mean breaking out these zebra coloring pages.
To take coloring pages to a whole new creative level, challenge your kiddos by asking questions. “Where do you think these zebras are standing?” (Have them draw the background.) If you were to design a zebra, what colors would it be? (Encourage them to think outside the box and not follow the rules of Mother Nature!) Some people genuinely love the visual beauty of a zebra’s black and white stripes. That’s awesome, of course! However, that same monochromatic look can open up to a colorful world around them. Your kids follow rules all day — maybe let this quiet and beneficial DIY activity be their chance to break or bend those rules.
Is coloring just too much fun and over too fast? Not to worry, friend. We have plenty of free printables. Suppose you want to stay on theme and teach your kiddo about other animals native to Africa. In that case, we recommend our hippo coloring pages, giraffe coloring pages, cheetah coloring pages, lion coloring pages, and elephant coloring pages.
Free Printable Zebra Coloring Pages
Zebra No. 1
To the untrained eye, a zebra is a zebra. But there are, in fact, three distinct zebra breeds: Grevy’s zebra, plains zebra, and mountain zebra. They are all native to the continent of Africa. More specifically, they inhabit the southern and eastern parts of the continent. And did you know plain zebras can bark like dogs?
Zebra No. 2
When you see photos or documentaries that include zebras, you often see them in a large group. Do you know what to call that group? It’s referred to as — this is super-fun — a dazzle. And did you know Zebras can mate with other animals in the horse family? A zorse is the offspring of a horse and zebra, a zedonk is a donkey and zebra baby and a zonie is a zebra and pony baby.
Zebra No. 3
Don’t let those dazzles confuse you, though! The species is dwindling, and some zebras exist only in small numbers now. Mountain zebras fall into the category of a vulnerable population, while the Grevy’s zebra classifies as “endangered.” A group of zebras is also called a zeal.
Zebra No. 4
You can probably tell just by looking at them, but zebras are closely related to horses and donkeys. All three species belong to the Equidae family, and they’re the only three living species in that family.
Zebra No. 5
Zebras are certainly much more unique-looking than their Equidae cousins. And, hey, those black and white stripes are gorgeous — but what purpose do they serve? Researchers speculate the stripes keep them cool and confuse predators.
Zebra No. 6
Their stripes also serve as fingerprints of sorts. Each zebra’s stripe pattern is entirely unique, which helps them identify or recognize each other.
Zebra No. 7
Dazzles (or just “herds”) have a unique grouping system. Among each herd, families often stay grouped until young male foals can survive without their mamas. At around two years older, male foals leave their families and join “bachelor herds” made up of other young male zebras. They clump together as a herd until they’re old enough to compete for mates and leave the bachelor herd.
Zebra No. 8
Another remarkable aspect of zebras is how they work and travel with other animals. In many instances, if you see a dazzle of zebras, you might also find a confusion of wildebeest or herd of antelopes nearby.
Zebra No. 9
In the wild, zebras live about 25 years. In captivity, however, zebras can live up to 40 years old. Can you imagine hitting your midlife crisis at 10 or 20? We can’t either!
Zebra No. 10
The zebra life cycle is significantly different from most other animals. Zebras don’t seem to have a “mating season” but rather mate throughout the year, leading to year-round pregnancies and births. Once a zebra is pregnant, the gestational period is about twelve months. The zebra foal then spends a few days with just its mama before it’s introduced to the rest of the herd.
Zebra No. 11
Like people, each zebra is unique. But if you’re ever looking for a specific striped friend, the best way to tell him apart from his buddies is to look at his butt. It’s true! The patterns on a zebra’s fanny are singular enough to help you tell them apart from others. There used to be a zebra subspecies called quagga that had no stripes on their rear end. It went extinct in 1883.
Zebra No. 12
Zebras may seem like miniature striped horses, but they can weigh up to 770 pounds! That’s one heavy zebra! And did you know that a group of zebras is called a zeal?
Click here to print all of the zebra coloring pages at once!
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