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| Wild Equids |
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There
are currently in the world, seven species
of wild equids, spread across Asia and Africa. Only two species are not
endangered: Plain zebra and Kiang. A conservation plan has been set up
by
international conservation organisations to ensure the survival of the
five
remaining.
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Evolution
and Characteristics
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| Equids
evolved from small mammals which inhabited
America and
Eurasia, 55 millions
years ago. Climate changes of the Miocene 30 millions years ago created
vast
grassy plains. These small mammals, looking like a Tapir with the size
of a
fox, adapted to this new environment and sired the Equid family (whose
only
genus is Equus) 3,5 millions years ago. They hence developed the
characteristics below that we can observe today: |
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© C. Feh |
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- Eyes |
Located
at the back of the skull, they allow equids to
have a wild field of vision |
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2
- Ears
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They
are raised and can be oriented to locate a noise
source.
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3 - Mane |
It
covers the whole top of the neck and is
always raised in the wild species |
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4
- Teeth |
Incisors
cut the vegetation and molars grind it.
Equids are herbivores. Wear generated by mastication is compensated by
their
sliding motion. |
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5
- Legs |
They
are long and thin and adapted to running. Weight
of the body is supported by the third finger of each limb. |
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6
- Hoof |
Horned
element that protects the last phalange from
the bumps of the ground. Equids are ungulates. |
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7
- Tail |
It
is made of long hair. |
The seven wild species
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in red: current range
in green: historical range |
| Plain zebra |
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Name:
Equus burchelli
Heigth at withers: 1.20 à 1.35 m
Length: 2.40 m
Weigth: 300 kg
Number: 663 200 individuals
Sub-species
: Grant zebra or
Böhm zebra, Sélous zebra, Chapman zebra
and Damara zebra (sometimes mixed), Burchell
zebra (probably extinct since 1930), Quagga (extinct since
1883)
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© C. Feh
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| Grevy's
zebra |
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Name: Equus
burchelli
Heigth at
withers: 1.50 to 1.60 m
Length: 3 m
Weigth: 400 to 450 kg
Range : North Kenya and South of Ethiopia
Number: 3200 |
© P. Moehlman |
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| Mountain
zebra |
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Name: Equus zebra
Heigth at withers: 1.20 to 1.30 m
Length: 2.20 m
Weigth: 250 to 370 kg
Range: South Africa, Namibia and South-West Angola
Range: 18 100 - 33 800
Sub-species: Cap mountain zebra, Hartmann's zebra |
© J. Frizzle |
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| African Wild Ass |
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Name: Equus Africanus
Heigth at
heigth: 1.25 à 1.45 m
Length: 2 m
Weigth: 230
to 275 kg
Range:
Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan
Number: less
than 1000
Sub-species:
Somalian Wild Assage, Nubian Wild Ass (extinct) |
© P. Moehlman |
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| Asian Wild Ass |
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Name:
Equus
hemionus
Heigth at withers: 1.50 m
Length: 2.10 m
Weigth:
350 to 400 kg
Range: India, Iran, Turkmenistan, Mongolia and few individuals in China
Number: 10 000 - 30 000.
Sub-species: Syrian Ass
(extinct since 1927), Onager, Khur (India), Khulan
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© C. Feh |
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| Kiang |
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Name: Equus
kiang
Height
at withers: 1.32 to 1.42 m
Length: ? m
Weight:
250 to 400 kg
Range: Iran, Turkmenistan, India, Mongolia and China
Number: 60 000 - 70 000.
Sub-species: South Kiang, West Kiang
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© G. Schaller |
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| Przewalski's Horse |
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Name: Equus ferus przewalskii
Height at withers: 1.20 to 1.45 m
Length: 2.10 m
Weight:
250 to 350 kg
Range: Anciently in Centrale Asia and may be in Europe during
glaciations
Number: 1600 in captivity and ongoing reintroduction programs |
© P. Goeldlin |
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Equid Action Plan
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IUCN
(The World Conservation Union) edits
regularly an “Equid action plan” whose aims are:
1/
Make an assessment of the knowledge on
numbers and range of the current population (wild and captive) of the
wild
equid species.
2/
Identify actions to be undertaken in order to
conserve genetical diversity within those populations (wild and
captive).
3/
Preserve the habitats of those species.
The
table below illustrates the work realized:
It allowed attribution of a conservation status to each species
(moreover the
sub-species are also treated) according to IUCN scientific criteria. |
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IUCN
Categorie |
Detail |
| African Wild Ass |
Critically
endangered
(CR)
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Considered
to be facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild |
| Asian Wild Ass |
Vulnerable
(VU) |
Considered
to be facing a high risk of extinction in the wild |
| Przewalski's Horse |
Extinct
in
the wild
(EX) |
Only
to survive in cultivation, in captivity or as a naturalized population
(or populations) well outside the past range. |
| Moutain Zebra |
Endangered
(EN) |
Considered
to be facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild. |
| Grévy's Zebra |
Endangered
(EN) |
Considered
to be facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild. |
| Plain Zebra |
Non threatened even though some
sub-species are extinct |
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| Kiang |
Least concern
(LC) |
Widespread
and abundant species |
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