Why do zebras have stripes? It’s probably a combination of things.

Zebras’ main predators are lions. Black and white stripes actually make zebras stand out against their grassland home, rather than camouflage them.

But when many zebras are running simultaneously, the cacophony of stripes may confuse predators as to how many zebras there are and which way they’re moving, making it more difficult to target an individual.

However, lions are ultimately successful at catching zebras, so this optical confusion deters but doesn’t prevent predation.

It’s also thought that the alternating black and white areas may be a thermoregulation strategy. The black stripes are 20 degrees Fahrenheit warmer in the sun, which may help the zebra absorb the sun’s heat on cool mornings, while white stripes reflect heat in the hot afternoons.

But perhaps the most beneficial quality of the stripes is to deter biting flies. Researchers have found that the stripes confuse the flies’ depth perception, making it difficult for them to land and bite.

In tests, scientists dressed horses in striped coats and put them with captive zebras and solid-colored horses in fly-infested areas.

They found that flies preferred the solid-colored animals four to one, and either hovered over, or bounced off, the striped animals.

Scientists accept it’s probably some combination of all these beneficial traits that led the zebra to develop stripes.