Ways of Seeing Nonhuman Animals: Some Likened Zebras to Horses, Others to Asses

Abstract

When Europeans first encountered zebras in South Africa, they variously referred to them as horses, asses, or mules. This type of classification continued into the nineteenth century when mountain zebras were sometimes described as “asinine” and plains zebras as “equine.” Quaggas, a subspecies of the plains zebra with reduced striping and brown coloration that were occasionally used as draft animals, were considered by some observers to be the most equine zebras. This perception seems to have influenced the image of quaggas and led some artists to incorrectly portray them with horse-like tails that they did not possess. This article examines the designations “equine” and “asinine” as applied to plains zebras (including quaggas) and mountain zebras, and connects these terms to their representation by various artists.