I love zebras and tigers, cuz of the stripes. Not only are zebras striped, they're organically striped. I especially like the Grevy's variety, cuz of the greater complexity. Have you ever wondered why the stripes bend the way they do around the animal's hindquarters? Or why they're thick in some places and thinner in others? Firstly, zebras are black animals with white stripes. Secondly, the stripes are all the same diameter and distance apart, when they're laid upon the embryo, which as I recall happens at around 4 or 5 weeks for the thicker striped varieties, and 6 weeks for Grevy's zebras. I'm thinking they're roughly 0.3mm apart (or 0.3mm wide), but, you know, I'm going from a years old memory here. (I assuming from a Stephen Jay Gould essay, no doubt one of the ones from "This View of Life" —but which issue it appeared in, or which collection it's in? Haven't a clue.) But see, the thing is, the embryo grows differentially and the stripes map to that growth. The parts that grow bigger have fatter stripes, which also explains why species in which the stripes are laid down earlier are wider.

Shot at the Detroit Zoo, in Jun of 2001, which is certainly more local to me than the African savannah...note the little discontinuity to the left of the hip—some foal-hood accident, surgery, what? —where the stripes don't quite match.

Now how cool is that?

29aug22: added year & horses tags

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