PLoS ONE 11(1):Įditor: Daniel Osorio, University of Sussex, UNITED KINGDOM In conclusion, compared to the uniform pelage of other sympatric herbivores it appears highly unlikely that stripes are a form of anti-predator camouflage.Ĭitation: Melin AD, Kline DW, Hiramatsu C, Caro T (2016) Zebra Stripes through the Eyes of Their Predators, Zebras, and Humans. Zebras appear to be less able than humans to resolve stripes although they are better than their chief predators. Stripes confer a minor advantage over solid pelage in masking body shape in woodlands, but the effect is stronger for humans than for predators. In open treeless habitats where zebras spend most time, zebras are as clearly identified by the lion visual system as are similar-sized ungulates, suggesting that stripes cannot confer crypsis by disrupting the zebra’s outline. On moonless nights, stripes are difficult for all species to resolve beyond ca. 50 m (daylight) and 30 m (twilight) zebra stripes are difficult for the estimated visual systems of large carnivores to resolve, but not humans. We also measured stripe widths and luminance contrast to estimate the maximum distances from which lions, spotted hyaenas, and zebras can resolve stripes. We evaluated this hypothesis by passing digital images of zebras through species-specific spatial and colour filters to simulate their appearance for the visual systems of zebras’ primary predators and zebras themselves.

The century-old idea that stripes make zebras cryptic to large carnivores has never been examined systematically.

Predator eyes vs prey eyes