Camouflage along different lines in zebras
i.e. more intensely pigmented than the normal colour
Equus spp. and Crocuta crocuta photo by Eric Baker via CreativeCommons 2.0
Zebras coexist with ruminants such as wildebeests with which they cannot keep up reproductively. Their survival depends on extreme anti-predator tactics. In particular, the striping of zebras works not by blending the animals into the surroundings but rather by causing optical disruption of the retina, thereby reducing predators’ ability to target weak, injured or pregnant individuals.
Robin and the Honey Badger, 14 March 2016