Their head and ears are both large, looking more like a donkey than a zebra. Because they are a cross of two animals, and have unusual features such as stripes that are only visible on some parts of the body, there are some interesting facts about the zonkey. Zonkeys occur in the wild in Africa, but can also be found in zoos and other captive animal establishments around the world. Zonkeys are herbivores, eating only plant material.
The vast majority of their diet consists of grasses and herbs that grow on the ground. They have flat, broad teeth for grazing and grinding down the fibrous grass. In less arid areas, they sometimes browse in trees and shrubs for other types of food, including fruits and berries. There are many other animal species which have very similar feeding habits to wild zonkeys, so they spend much of their time moving from area to area to find better food sources. The zonkey is a cross-bred animal that cannot continue to propagate a population.
Zonkeys are sometimes used as beasts of burden work animals because of their great strength and stamina. It is believed they inherit resistance to some pests and diseases from their zebra fathers. Some zoos use them to offer rides to the public.
Donkeys have been domesticated for thousands of years, however, zebras are wild animals with quite an aggressive nature. He has written about animal behavior, wildlife biology, conservation, and ecology for Scientific American , Los Angeles magazine, the Washington Post , the Guardian , the BBC, Conservation magazine, and elsewhere. He enjoys sharing his wildlife knowledge on television and on the radio, and often speaks to the public about wildlife and science communication.
Follow Jason G. Goldman on Twitter. Already a subscriber? Sign in. Thanks for reading Scientific American. Create your free account or Sign in to continue. See Subscription Options. Discover World-Changing Science. Get smart. Sign up for our email newsletter. Their fur will be a mix of stripes from their zebra father and the normal flat color of their donkey mother.
The mix of stripes and plan fur can be quite interesting, giving zedonks an unusual look. As you can tell, zedonks are pretty interesting animals, especially when you see one up close.
With their unusual fur and their memorable name, the zedonk makes quite an impression on visitors. Of course, you can always plan a trip to visit us and see one in person — get tickets today.
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