The plains zebra and mountain zebra were traditionally placed in the subgenus Hippotigris, in contrast to Grévy's zebra, which was considered the sole species of the subgenus Dolichohippus however, recent (2013) phylogenetic evidence finds that plains zebras are more closely related to Grévy's zebras than mountain zebras.
After the quagga, described by Pieter Boddaert in 1785, was found to be the same species in the 21st century, the plains zebra was reclassified as Equus quagga due to the principle of priority. The plains zebra was formally classified by British zoologist John Edward Gray in 1824 as Equus burchellii. As of 2016, the plains zebra is classified as near threatened by IUCN. The species population is stable and not endangered, though populations in most countries have declined sharply. The plains zebra remains common in game reserves, but is threatened by human activities such as hunting for its meat and hide, as well as competition with livestock and encroachment by farming on much of its habitat. The animals keep watch for predators they bark or snort when they see a predator and the harem stallion attacks predators to defend his harem. The plains zebra is a highly social species, forming harems with a single stallion, several mares and their recent offspring bachelor groups also form. Zebras are preyed upon by lions and spotted hyenas, Nile crocodiles and, to a lesser extent, leopards, cheetahs and African wild dogs. They generally avoid desert, dense rainforest and permanent wetlands. The plain zebra's habitat is generally, but not exclusively, treeless grasslands and savanna woodlands, both tropical and temperate. Great variation in coat patterns exists between clines and individuals. The plains zebra is intermediate in size between the larger Grévy's zebra and the smaller mountain zebra and tends to have broader stripes than both. More recent research supports variations in zebra populations being clines rather than subspecies. Six or seven subspecies have been recognised, including the extinct quagga which was thought to be a separate species. Its range is fragmented, but spans much of southern and eastern Africa south of the Sahara. The plains zebra ( Equus quagga, formerly Equus burchellii), also known as the common zebra, is the most common and geographically widespread species of zebra.
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