Examples of animals with stripes include the aardwolf, bumblebee, zebra, clownfish, and coral snake.
There are many types of animals with stripes. Some examples include zebra, tiger, and cheetah.
There are different theories as to why these animals have stripes. For example, the theory that is most widely accepted is that predators can’t see them more easily when they are camouflaged in their surroundings because the striping breaks up their outline so they cannot be seen as clearly by predators lurking nearby.
Examples of Animals with Stripes
1. Aardwolf
| Scientific Name | Proteles cristata |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Africa |
| Diet | Carnivore |
The aardwolf has stripes that run along its body. These stripes help to camouflage the aardwolf and make it difficult for predators to spot them in their habitat.
The aardwolf is also known for its characteristic black and white coloring, which makes it easily recognizable among other animals.
2. African Wild Ass
| Scientific Name | Equus africanus |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia |
| Diet | Herbivore |
The African Wild Ass is a species of the donkey that lives in Africa. They are the largest wild ass in the world and can weigh up to 300 pounds.
They have gray fur with black stripes running down their legs. They live in herds of up to 100 animals and eat grasses, leaves, and fruits.
3. Badgers
| Scientific Name | Meles meles |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | North America & Europe |
| Diet | Omnivore |
Badgers are omnivores from both Europe and North America. The European and North American badgers have slightly different looks.
Badgers may come across as cute creatures but they can get nasty if you come too close. Many badgers will have very distinct stripes across their faces.
Related Article: Do American Badgers Sleep a Lot?
4. Bumblebee
| Scientific Name | Bombus |
| Type of Animal | Insect |
| Range | North America |
| Diet | Herbivore |
Bumblebees are one of the most easily recognized insects because they have black and yellow stripes.
These stripes help warn predators that they can sting. The bumblebee is also important for pollination.
5. Burchell’s Zebra
| Scientific Name | Equus quagga burchellii |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | southeastern Africa |
| Diet | Herbivore |
The zebra is perhaps one of the most well-known animals with stripes. Their distinctive black and white coloring makes them easily recognizable, and their stripes help to camouflage them in their environment.
Zebras can be found in Africa and are a part of the horse family.
6. Clownfish
| Scientific Name | Amphiprioninae |
| Type of Animal | Fish |
| Range | Red Sea and Pacific Oceans |
| Diet | Omnivore |
Clownfish are one of the most popular aquarium fish and are known for their bright orange stripes. They live in warm waters near coral reefs where they eat parasites off other fish.
7. Coral Snakes
| Scientific Name | Micrurus lemniscatus |
| Type of Animal | Reptile |
| Range | North Carolina to Louisiana |
| Diet | Carnivore |
The coral snake is a brightly-colored, venomous snake found in the southeastern United States.
The red and black stripes on its body serve as a warning to predators that it is poisonous. The coral snake can reach lengths of up to four feet long.
Despite being venomous, the coral snake is not aggressive and will usually try to escape if it is approached.
8. Dascyllus
| Scientific Name | Dascyllus |
| Type of Animal | Fish |
| Range | Red Sea and East Africa |
| Diet | Omnivore |
The Dascyllus aruanus is a species of damselfish found in the Indo-Pacific Ocean. These fish have black stripes running down their bodies, and they can grow up to 12 inches long.
They are usually shy around people, but they make great pets for those who are patient enough to tame them.
9. Eastern Chipmunks
| Scientific Name | Tamias striatus |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | eastern United States |
| Diet | Omnivore |
The eastern chipmunk is the most common type of chipmunk in North America. These creatures are also known as striped squirrels, or simply “chippers”.
They have a rust-colored stripe that runs down their back and another stripe on each side that begins behind their ears and goes to nearly halfway across their belly.
Related Article: Do Chipmunk Eat Bananas?
10. Four Stripe Damselfish
| Scientific Name | Dascyllus melanurus |
| Type of Animal | Fish |
| Range | Indo-Australian Archipelago and western Caroline |
| Diet | Omnivore |
The four-stripe damselfish is a species of marine fish. It can grow up to three inches long, and it has bright blue and white stripes that may help them camouflage against the sea floor or coral reefs, especially when they are young.
These creatures tend to live in pairs at the bottom of the ocean where their food sources are plentiful.
11. Ferrets
| Scientific Name | Mustela putorius furo |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Worldwide |
| Diet | Carnivore |
The ferret is a small, weasel-like mammal that has a long body and short legs. They are typically brown or black with white stripes down their back.
Ferrets are carnivores and eat mostly meat. They live in burrows underground and can be found throughout North America, Europe, and Asia.
12. Garter Snakes
| Scientific Name | Thamnophis |
| Type of Animal | Reptile |
| Range | Southeast and most of North America |
| Diet | Carnivore |
The garter snake is a common and widespread species of colubrid snake. It is the only species in the genus Thamnophis.
Garter snakes are found throughout most of North America, from southern Canada to northern Mexico, and east of the Rocky Mountains as far as Georgia and Alabama.
They inhabit a variety of habitats, including forests, woodlands, fields, grasslands and wetlands.
13. Giant Elands
| Scientific Name | Taurotragus derbianus |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | western Africa |
| Diet | Herbivore |
The giant eland is a large antelope that can be found in Africa. These animals have beautiful, long, brown fur with white stripes running down their sides.
They are the second-largest antelope in the world, and males can weigh up to 1400 pounds! Giant elands live in herds and eat mostly leaves, grasses, and fruit.
14. Grandidier Mongoose
| Scientific Name | Galidictis grandidieri |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | southwestern Madagascar |
| Diet | Carnivore |
The Grandidier Mongoose is a small, slender mongoose found in the forests of Madagascar. It has reddish-brown fur with black stripes running down its back.
The Grandidier Mongoose is active during the day and feeds mainly on insects, but will also eat small mammals, reptiles, and birds.
15. Greater Kudu
| Scientific Name | Tragelaphus strepsiceros |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Zambia, Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe |
| Diet | Herbivore |
Greater Kudu,
Impala, and Thomson’s Gazelle are all animals that have stripes. The Greater Kudu is found in Africa and has a light brown coat with dark vertical stripes.
The Impala is also found in Africa and has reddish-brown fur with white stripes down its sides.
The Thomson’s Gazelle is found in Africa and Asia and has a light brown coat with black stripes. All of these animals are known for their grace and agility.
16. Indian Palm Squirrels
| Scientific Name | Funambulus palmarum |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | India and Sri Lanka |
| Diet | Herbivore |
Indian Palm Squirrels
are found on the Indian subcontinent, which includes India and Pakistan. These animals have long tails with black stripes or rings around them.
They can also be brownish in color and some even have a white stripe down their back.
17. Juvenile Tapir
| Scientific Name | Tapiridae |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | South America |
| Diet | Omnivore |
The juvenile tapir has a coat of short, reddish-brown fur with black stripes. As the animal grows older, the stripes will fade and the coat will become darker.
The underparts are white, and there is a distinctive white “muzzle” marking on the head. Tapirs have stout bodies, long legs, and oversized feet.
18. Lesser Kudu
| Scientific Name | Tragelaphus imberbis |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | northeastern Africa |
| Diet | Herbivore |
The lesser kudu is a antelope with long, thin horns which curve inwards. They have yellowish to light brown coats with white underbellies and usually dark vertical stripes on their sides for camouflage in grasses or bushes.
Striped bodies help them hide from predators while they are grazing during the day.
19. Lowland Bongo
| Scientific Name | Tragelaphus eurycerus eurycerus |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | western Africa |
| Diet | Herbivore |
The Lowland Bongo is a reddish-brown antelope that lives in the rainforest of Africa. They are shy animals and are difficult to see in the forest.
They have two long, black stripes down their back and white stripes on their sides. They weigh between 200 and 250 pounds and stand about four feet tall at the shoulder.
20. Moorish idol
| Scientific Name | Zanclus cornutus |
| Type of Animal | Fish |
| Range | the Indian Ocean, Red Sea |
| Diet | Omnivore |
The Moorish idol is a fish with distinctive black and white stripes. It lives in coral reefs in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. The Moorish idol is a popular aquarium fish.
21. Mountain Bongo
| Scientific Name | Tragelaphus eurycerus isaaci |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | central Kenya |
| Diet | Herbivore |
Mountain Bongo is an African antelope that can be found in the mountainous regions of western Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, northern Tanzania, eastern Congo and Burundi.
Mountain bongos are considered to be least concern animals but they are still threatened by hunting for food or sport, habitat loss and fragmentation.
These animals have striking white and black stripes and are the largest of the bongo species.
22. Mountain Nyala
| Scientific Name | Tragelaphus buxtoni |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | central Ethiopia |
| Diet | Herbivore |
The mountain nyala is a type of antelope that can be found in the mountainous regions of eastern and southern Africa. They are distinguished by their striking striped coats, which help them to blend in with their surroundings.
Nyalas typically weigh between 160 and 220 pounds, and measure anywhere from 36 to 44 inches at the shoulder.
23. Mountain Zebra
| Scientific Name | Equus zebra |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | South Africa |
| Diet | Herbivore |
Mountain Zebra,also known as the Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra, is a mountain-dwelling species of zebra which lives in South Africa and Zimbabwe.
24. Numbat
| Scientific Name | Myrmecobius fasciatus |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Australia |
| Diet | Carnivore |
The numbat (Myrmecobius fasciatus), also known as the banded anteater, is a marsupial found in Western Australia. Numbats live in small family groups of an adult pair and their young.
They feed on termites using their 16 cm long sticky tongue to catch prey.
Related Article: Are Numbats Marsupials?
25. Okapi
| Scientific Name | Okapia johnstoni |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Democratic Republic of Congo |
| Diet | Herbivore |
Okapi is a mammal from the giraffe family. It can be found in Central African countries, such as Democratic Congo and Uganda.
One of its most famous features is that it has zebra-like stripes on its legs and neck. These dark brown to black vertical bands go about halfway down their back legs and up the front of their neck.
26. Plain Zebra
| Scientific Name | Equus quagga |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | southern Africa |
| Diet | Herbivore |
The plain zebra is the most common and widespread species of zebra. They can be found in grasslands, savannas, woodlands, and scrublands all throughout Africa.
Zebras have beautiful coats and distinct black and white stripes. These friendly creatures are very social, often living in herds of up to a dozen zebras for protection against predators such as lions or hyenas.
27. Quagga
| Scientific Name | Equus quagga quagga |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | South Africa |
| Diet | Herbivore |
The Quagga is an extinct subspecies of plains zebra that lived in South Africa until the late 19th century. It had distinct markings very different from other zebras; its stripes were isolated rather than connected across the midline of its body, and it lacked a mane.
28. Raccoons
| Scientific Name | Procyon lotor |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | North America |
| Diet | Omnivore |
Raccoons are often depicted in cartoons with their distinctive black band across their eyes. This stripe makes them look like they’re wearing a mask. But they also have striped tails, as you can see in the picture above.
29. Scottish Wildcat
| Scientific Name | Felis silvestris |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Britain |
| Diet | Carnivore |
The Scottish Wildcat is a wild cat native to Scotland. It lives in the wilder, more remote parts of the Highlands and on some islands off its coast.
As their habitat has been taken over by farms, they have become extinct in many areas due to hunting, poaching and loss of prey species such as rabbits or young deer that are their natural prey.
30. Skunk
| Scientific Name | Mephitidae |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | United States, Canada, South America and Mexico |
| Diet | Omnivore |
Skunks use their stripes as camouflage when they’re hiding from predators or hunting prey.
31. Striped Hyena
| Scientific Name | Hyaena hyaena |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Africa |
| Diet | Omnivore |
The Striped Hyena is one of the most interesting animals in Africa. They are known for their loud laughter-like call, and their striped coat.
They live in packs and can be very dangerous to humans. Although they look scary, they are actually quite timid and usually run away from danger.
32. Striped Pyjama Squid
| Scientific Name | Sepioloidea lineolata |
| Type of Animal | Fish |
| Range | Australia |
| Diet | Carnivore |
The striped pyjama squid is a small, colorful cephalopod found in tropical waters around the world.
These squids have a red and white body with blue stripes, hence their name. They are usually less than six inches long and can be found near the ocean’s surface.
33. Striped Marlin
| Scientific Name | Kajikia audax |
| Type of Animal | Fish |
| Range | Worldwide |
| Diet | Carnivore |
Striped Marlin are a type of fish that love to live in the open ocean. They have dark blue backs and silver bellies, but their most notable feature is the striping pattern running from head to tail.
Stripes can be almost any color – yellow or red being especially popular ones.
34. Tabby Cat
| Scientific Name | Felis catus |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Worldwide |
| Diet | Carnivore |
They usually have tan or orange fur on their stomachs and dark brown, black, gray or white stripes along their backs and tails.
In addition to the striping on their backs, tabby cats also have stripes on their legs and necks.
35. Tiger
| Scientific Name | Panthera tigris |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | North Korea, China, India, and Southeast Asia |
| Diet | Carnivore |
The tiger is another animal that is known for its stripes. These stripes help to camouflage the tiger in its environment and also make it difficult for predators to spot them.
The tiger is a large cat that can be found in Asia and is the national animal of several countries.
Tigers are considered endangered animals, and there are only about 3900 tigers left in the wild.
36. Warty Pigs
| Scientific Name | Sus cebifrons |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Philippines |
| Diet | Omnivore |
Warty Pigs has stripes all over their body and they are native to the rainforest of South America.
37. Zorse
| Scientific Name | Equus zebra x Equus caballus |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Africa |
| Diet | Herbivore |
Zorse, also known as Zebroid is a hybrid between zebra and any other equine. There are many reports of this kind of animal but it is not very common.
Also, there are several breeds with stripes on the legs or body like zebrass (zebra mare crossed with donkey stallion).
Conclusion
The above examples of striped animals are just a sample. There are hundreds of animals with stripes out in the wild.
Stripes are generally believed to be a way for animals to hide and camouflage themselves from potential predators. This is just a hypothesis, but the fact that many creatures in both land and the sea have evolved with stripes means there must be an evolutionary benefit to stripes!
Hi, I’m Garreth. Living in South Africa I’ve had the pleasure of seeing most of these animals up close and personal. When I was younger I always wanted to be a game ranger but unfortunately, life happens and now at least I get to write about them and tell you my experiences.