Are zebras white with black stripes or black with white stripes?

Live Science ^ | 11/21/2021 | By Jennifer Welsh

[Rurudyne]

Prehistoric Democrats going on about white equine privilege.

[Celerity]

As far I knew, it’s black with white stripes.
The idea was that since the tail is black, that was the zebra’s base color

Same with the mane.

[dayglored]

> It’s not actually for camoflauge, it’s so predators can’t get a visual lock on an individual within a herd.

Correct. It took 20 comments to get there, but yeah, it confuses the eye of the predator.

[EEGator]

Maye there is no answer. It’s a chicken/egg thing.

[Fai Mao]

“Doesn’t look like blending with the local environment....looks pretty darn bold to me.”

Because you have color vision.
If you saw in red tinged monochrome like a lion, it would be different.

[Bayan]

I am looking at my rug right now and it is definitely white with black stripes.

[moovova]

Yes!

[gloryblaze]

Both colors matter.

[fidelis]

Thank goodness for zebras. If it weren’t for them, what would they put a picture of in children’s alphabet books for the letter “Z”?

[skr]

Zebras are meant to blend in with each other, so that predators are confused when they see a herd. One of their collective names is a dazzle. It helps the young, which are the usual targets, to blend in with the adults. This is according to seasoned safari guides, but there might be more to it than that.

[Covenantor]

No...trying looking at that photo in monochrome gray scale...still stands out boldly...besides scent is the primary detection sense, by far, for the big cats...visually motion detection more important than color.

[Covenantor]

That makes the most sense as they are herd animals.

[sunny bonobo]

Doesn’t look like blending with the local environment....looks pretty darn bold to me.
*****************I think Steve was being sarcastic. At least I hope he was.

[biggerten]

Like the dazzle paint schemes for naval ships pre-radar. Radar isn’t fooled by paint schemes.

[jacknhoo]

They’re just black and white striped.

[wardaddy]

Dark with white

Few equine are actual white

[Secret Agent Man]

yup

[higgmeister]

The guy on the left is Frank Gorshin who also played “The Riddler” on the campy Batman TV show, “Same Bat time, same Bat channel.”

[Cold Heart]

I always thought zebras mimicked warships that were painted in confusing patterns so the lions got optically confused.

[Cold Heart]

I just looked at my rug and I think our old dog is having bladder control problems.