Animals come in all different shapes, sizes and even colors! Many animals have unique and interesting patterns on their fur or skin. One of my favorite patterns on animals is stripes! Can you think of any animals with stripes? Let’s find out more about animals with stripes.
Zebras
Zebras are one of the most famous animals with stripes. They have beautiful black and white stripes all over their body. Did you know scientists don’t know exactly why zebras have stripes? Some think it is to help keep them cool in the hot sun. Other scientists think they have stripes so that bugs don’t bite them.
Just like snowflakes or fingerprints no two zebras have the same pattern of stripes. Every zebra is different! Zebras may use their stripe patterns to recognize one another.
Tigers
Tigers have stripes that help them to hide. This is called camouflage. Tigers live in jungles and grassy areas. Their stripes help them blend in with the shadows, bushes and trees. Tigers are meat eaters, so having stripes helps them sneak up on their prey and gives them protection. Watch this fun video about how a tiger’s stripes work as camouflage.
Bees
Most bees usually have yellow and black stripes some also have red, orange or white on their bodies. There are a lot of different kinds of bees, honey bees, bumble bees, and yellow jackets all have bright stripes. Scientists aren’t sure exactly why bees have stripes but their best guess is to warn birds and other animals that may eat them to stay away. Once a bird is stung by a bee it won’t attack another one because it recognizes the bright stripes.
Bees may seem scary because they can sting, but they only sting to protect themselves or their hives. Bees are very important for plants, especially fruits and vegetables. Bees carry pollen from plant to plant and then back to their nests. Moving pollen around this way pollinates the plants. public domain Pollinating is what helps plants grow fruits or vegetables. Without the help of bees we might be very hungry!
Okapi
Okapi is animal that lives in thick forests in Africa. It looks kind of like a deer, but has stripes just on its bottom and legs. Its body is reddish brown. These stripes help an okapi blend in well in the forest. Have you ever played hide an seek? Okapis love to hide! They are very shy and their stripes help them stay hidden in the forest.
Skunk
You probably notice a skunk by its smell before you see its stripes. Skunks use spray to keep away animals that might want to eat them. The striped skunk has very noticeable black and white stripes. These stripes help warn other animals to stay away unless they want to get stinky! Have you ever smelled a skunk?
Lionfish
Many different fish have stripes. Lionfish are just one type of fish with stripes. They are tropical fish that have poison in their sharp pointy fins. They use their painful sting for protection. Their stripes help them hide so they can catch other smaller fish to eat. Can you think of any other fish with stripes that you have seen?
Animals have stripes for many different reasons. Stripes help animals to hide or they say “warning! keep away!” Either way stripes give animals protection. An adaptation is something that an animal develops over time to help them survive. Stripes are a very helpful adaptation for many animals. What is your favorite animal with stripes?
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