Download Zebra
Channing Chambers
Zebras often trot when moving to new pastures, which is a fairly fast but easy gait for them to use over the long distances they may have to travel. Their hard hooves are designed to withstand the impact of their body weight and to run easily over rocky ground. When resting at night, zebras lie down while one stands watch to prevent an ambush.
Stripes: White with black or black with white? This is one of the most-asked questions about zebras. So what's up with the stripes? Zebras are generally thought to have white coats with black (sometimes brown) stripes. That's because if you look at most zebras, the stripes end on their belly and toward the inside of the legs, and the rest is all white. However (there had to be a catch, right?), some zebras are born with genetic variations that make them all black with white stripes, or mostly dark with the striped pattern on just part of their coats. And as it turns out, zebras have black skin underneath their hair. So it depends on how you look at it!
As the dry season arrives and the grasses die back, zebra herds travel to find more food and water holes for drinking. Most zebras are considered nomadic, without specific territories. The exception is the Grevy's zebra. Stallions of this species mark out territories with urine and dung. The mares, their foals, and immature males wander through as they wish. If food becomes scarce, though, the stallions leave their territories for a while and travel with the larger herds.
Zebras communicate with one another with facial expressions and sounds. They make loud braying or barking sounds and soft snorts and whuffs. The position of their ears, how wide open their eyes are, and whether their mouths are open or their teeth are bared all mean something. Ears flat back, for example, means trouble, or you better follow orders! Zebras also reinforce their bonds by grooming each other. You might see two zebras standing head to back, apparently biting each other, but they are really only nibbling on each other with their teeth to pull out loose hair and get a good scratch.
Where introduced, zebra mussels threaten native fish and wildlife by consuming available food and smothering native species. They clog power plant and other water intakes, costing taxpayers millions of dollars.
Quagga and zebra mussels have spread rapidly across the country since they were first discovered in the late 1980s and, according to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials, have spread to every major river basin in the U.S. except the Columbia River Basin in the northwest. The mussels typically are spread by recreational watercraft such as boats, canoes, and Jet Skis that have been in infested waters. Once established in a water body, the mussel species are extremely difficult to eradicate because they have no natural predators in the U.S. and rapidly reproduce.
The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) announced today that zebra mussels, a harmful invasive aquatic species, have been identified in an Iredell County waterbody. This is the first time this species has been identified in the wild in North Carolina. On Thursday, September 21, 2023, NCWRC, with assistance from scuba divers from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, investigated and confirmed a report of zebra mussels in a quarry on private property. NCWRC believes the mussels are contained to the quarry and is working on options for treatment while continuing its investigation.
To report suspected zebra mussels, please contact the NCWRC's district fisheries biologist offices. Visit NCWRC's aquatic nuisance species webpage for guidance on disinfecting snorkel and SCUBA gear and for more information on zebra mussels.
The Western Regional Panel prepared Quagga and Zebra Mussel Action Plan 2.0 to inform ongoing management and partnership efforts intended to minimize the spread and impacts from zebra and quagga mussels in the western United States. The original QZAP action items have guided prevention, containment, research, and management to address the ecological and economic impacts of invasive quagga and zebra mussels since 2009. The purpose of QZAP 2.0 is to provide a systematic and unified approach to prevent the spread of zebra and quagga mussels into and within the western United States in the future. The urgency and the need for such a coordinated approach remain as important today as ever before. Newly infested waters, increased boating pressure, and gained public and political awareness drove the need for the Western Regional Panel to acknowledge and learn from the past and set forth a new collective path towards the future. These recommendations are intended to inform decision-making to provide increased capacity and clear direction that empowers the further implementation of a collaborative and coordinated multi-jurisdictional regional strategy to prevent the spread of quagga and zebra mussels in the West. For more resources, see: Key Documents
This places the Saint John River at high risk for infestation and as a potential source for transport on watercraft of zebra mussels into other Maine water bodies. Zebra mussels have not yet been confirmed in any water of the state of Maine but represent a high threat level to the health of our waters, fish, and wildlife. Zebra mussel infestations result in irreversible negative impacts on native species and water body systems and are nearly impossible to eradicate once introduced.
Zebra mussels filter and hold a substantial amount of important food and nutrients that native organisms require, negatively impacting all native fish and wildlife in the water body. In addition to significantly impacting our wildlife, and unlike our native mussels, zebra mussels attach to hard surfaces in the water, including watercraft, pipes (which can clog intake/outflow), rocks, docks, and even native mussels. Zebra mussel larvae are microscopic, making it imperative all outdoor enthusiasts use extreme caution to limit the spread.
DRY all equipment and watercraft completely before reuse. While they can be removed, washed off, and drained out with best cleaning and draining practices,allowing watercraft and all gear to dry thoroughly between water bodies is one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of these microscopic zebra mussel larvae. This drying should occur for multiple days (2-5 days) when possible.
Zebra mussels are a freshwater invasive mussel originally from Europe and Russia. Unlike plants or other large aquatic invasive species that are easy to spot by eye, zebra mussels are difficult to detect during watercraft inspections because they are microscopic at the larval stage (which is most likely to be transported) and even in the adult stage only reach -1 inches in length. Their shells are yellow and brown with zig zag stripes; however, the pattern can vary quite a bit.
There are currently no reports or confirmed infestations of zebra mussels in any waters of the state. Zebra mussels have been spreading through the Great Lakes region after transport in ballast waters on large cargo ships from Europe and eventual spread through connected riverine systems. This has led to continual spread through additional overland transport on watercraft into inland waters and western portions of the United States that has not yet reached the northeast to the same degree.
Zebra mussels require certain water chemistry attributes, like high calcium levels, to establish and thrive in a water body. The Department of Environmental Protection conducted a study on many of Maine's lakes and found that over 90% of lakes they examined had a very low suitability level for zebra mussels based on water chemistry. In riverine systems, flow rates must be slow enough to allow zebra mussel larvae to eventually attach to hard surfaces, and as a result their spread will be naturally limited in certain extents of our rivers & brooks.
Like our native mussels they are filter feeders, which means that they feed by drawing in water and consuming primarily algae. However, zebra mussels are far more effective at filtering than our native mussels and take in and hold a substantial amount of important food & nutrients that native organisms require. Native zooplankton and small fish that depend on that food and nutrient supply decrease in abundance as a result, and in turn there is a cascading negative effect on all native fish and wildlife within the system due to the decreased availability of prey at each level of the food web. Unlike our native mussels, zebra mussels attach to hard surfaces in the water, including watercraft, pipes (which can clog intake/outflow), rocks, docks, and even native mussels.
Mechanical: Physical control options include benthic mats, manual removal, water level drawdown, and dredging. They may be effective at controlling zebra mussels at a localized site or structure; however, they are often expensive and can have negative impacts on native plants and animals. In addition, some of these physical control options may also require an approved permit from the DNR Waterways program.
Chemical: Several pesticidal control options have been developed, including copper compounds (EarthTec QZ), the bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens strain CL145A (Zequanox), and potassium chloride (potash). However, due to the lack of documented long-term control efficacy, as well as the potential risk to non-target species, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources does not currently support the use of pesticides to control zebra mussels in lakes or rivers. Any product which claims to kill, control, repel, mitigate, or prevent zebra mussels would be considered a pesticide and must be registered with the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection (DATCP). In addition, the proposed use of any pesticidal product in a Wisconsin waterbody would also require an approved Chapter NR 107 permit for the control of aquatic organisms.
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