Why Do Zebras Have Stripes? Not For Camouflage, New Study Says

The iconic black and white stripes of zebra’s have baffled scientists over the years.

It might to some of us.

A recent study suggests that stripes do not provide zebras with camouflage protection against predators.

The lead author of the study, Amanda Melin, an assistant professor of biological anthropology at the University of Calgary, Canada, said that the most longstanding theory for zebra striping is crypsis, or camouflaging, but so far the question has been always framed from humans point of view. He had previously been involved in other studies that pointed to the possibility that the real reason why zebras have stripes might be to protect them from tiny pests like biting flies, rather than large predators, like lions.

To test the hypothesis that stripes camouflage the zebras against the backdrop of their natural environment, the researchers passed digital images taken in the field in Tanzania through spatial and color filters that simulated how the zebras would appear to their main predators – lions and spotted hyenas – as well as to other zebras. They also saw how the striped animals would look to other members of their own species.

A research proves that the stripes of zebras don’t help them camouflage better. The data showed Zebras stripes are only distinguishable from 29 feet during a moonless night or in woodland or low-brush environment. So, most likely the stripes are not suitable camouflage for wooded areas, despite previous theories that dark stripes would look like tree trunks and light stripes would blend with light shafts through trees, according to a statement. As for the zebras, predators can detect them as easily as any other solid-colored prey.

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University of Calgary anthropologist Amanda Melin measures the luminance of zebra stripes at the Calgary Zoo.

Scientists have dispelled a long-held belief about zebras – by claiming their stripes are NOT a form of comouflage. Researchers also measured the light contrast, width, and brightness of the black-and-white patterns to estimate the distance from which stripes would be visible to humans and predators. The ferocious hunters were used as “lenses’ to study the hypothesis of zebra stripes serving the objective of camouflage”. The team of scientists found that predators would not be able to tell that zebras had stripes from various distances and times of the day. The researchers rejected this hypothesis, that has been previously debated by Alfred Russell Wallace and Charles Darwin.

Melin and Caro worked on the study with Donald Kline of the University of Calgary and Chihiro Hiramatsu of Kyushu University, Japan.

And the stripes had no role in allowing other zebras to recognise each other at a distance.