Zebras’ stripes may not be for camouflage but for bite protection

Telegraph : Zebras’ unusual black and white markings set them apart from other mammals in the African savanna. For decades it was assumed that the markings were useful for camouflaging the foals from predators such as lions. Instead, according to biologists from the University of California, Davis, who have published their findings in Nature Communications, zebras’ striking coloration may protect them from a different sort of predator: horseflies and tsetse flies. The insects appear to avoid the stripy surface—but exactly why is unknown. The researchers say it could be because the different types of hairs in the zebra’s pelt reflect different sorts of polarized light, which we can’t see but flies can. According to the paper, there appears to be greater striping on zebras that live in regions where flies are more prevalent.