What is the main color of a zebra's stripes?

The main color of a zebra’s stripes is black, with white stripes creating its familiar pattern.

Zebras have distinctive black-and-white coats, and each animal’s stripe arrangement is unique, much like a fingerprint. The pattern differs among the three living zebra species: plains, mountain, and Grévy’s zebras can have different stripe widths, spacing, and density.

The question of whether zebras are black with white stripes or white with black stripes is more complicated than it sounds. Zebra skin is black beneath the coat, and black hair contains melanin. White hair grows where pigment production in the hair follicles is switched off, so black is commonly described as the animal’s underlying or default color.

Scientists have also investigated whether stripes help deter biting flies. Experiments suggest that horseflies and similar insects land less often on striped surfaces, though zebra striping may have more than one evolutionary function.