About Zecora

[Discordian 6,015]

Or is it Zecora? I don't remember.

 

Anyway, I just had a realization that Twilight specifically refers to Zecora as a "Zebra." when they first meet her. They've never once called her an Earth Pony in the series as far as I remember.

 

She's also proficient in her own kind of magic despite not being a unicorn. This brings up the question: Is there perhaps more than 4 types of ponies in Equestria? (Remember to include Alicorns in there)

 

Maybe Zebra are a totally different kind mainly found in Zecora's home land and they have their own level of magic like the unicorns do.

[SørenWolf 227]

First: I believe it is Zecora not Zacora. 

Second: if you take into account the Saddle Arabians from the end of Magic Duel (They certainly look different then normal ponies to me) there seem to be a wide variety of creatures within the world of MLP. (Lets not forget changelings, griphons, and dragons, all listed under sentient beings)

[Winona the Dog 1,984]

i always thought Zecora was from another continent of the world they live in. It's obvious that Equestria doesn't seem to be the only place in the world (Whether  or whether Equestria is an actual continent or is the name of the world they live in) On the map of Equestria there doesn't seem to be any specific place where the Zebra's live so either they are sparsely populated and Zecora is was of the few Zebras alive or she has came to Equestria from another continent that we don't know about.

[Cowl 128]

zebras are not the same species as ponies or horses for that matter. They are related closely enough that they are able to interbreed, producing a 'zorse' - however, like most hybrids, zorses are usually sterile.

 

So zebras are like griffins, dragons, or buffalo, in that they are another type of intelligent/sentient animal that may/may not have special abilities.

[Discordian 6,015]

Indeed. I had been thinking purely of ponies but it seems there are a good amount of beings, all with different traits, in Equestria. Zecora is pretty close to ponies though and usually the fandom seems to consider that there's only the main four though it seems there are definitely more than that excluding all the other races you mentioned.

zebras are not the same species as ponies or horses for that matter. They are related closely enough that they are able to interbreed, producing a 'zorse' - however, like most hybrids, zorses are usually sterile.

 

So zebras are like griffins, dragons, or buffalo, in that they are another type of intelligent/sentient animal that may/may not have special abilities.

 

I hadn't actually considered that. I didn't know Zebra were of a different genome than horses. If I had know that this question might have never come up.

[SørenWolf 227]

zebras are not the same species as ponies or horses for that matter. They are related closely enough that they are able to interbreed, producing a 'zorse' - however, like most hybrids, zorses are usually sterile.

 

So zebras are like griffins, dragons, or buffalo, in that they are another type of intelligent/sentient animal that may/may not have special abilities.

Thanks for reminding me about the buffalo. Now that I remember them i noticed something else. If you focus on the non-pony sentient races, and exclude changelings you get this

Buffalo = Earth Pony

Griphon = Pagasus

Zebra = Unicorn (As shown in Magic Duel)

What are your thoughts?

[Cowl 128]

Thanks for reminding me about the buffalo. Now that I remember them i noticed something else. If you focus on the non-pony sentient races, and exclude changelings you get this

Buffalo = Earth Pony

Griphon = Pagasus

Zebra = Unicorn (As shown in Magic Duel)

What are your thoughts?

Not bad, but don't forget dragons.

 

I don't think it is intentional though. There is no reason that they would want to place constraints on the numbers or types of other races.

[Jadefire 2,797]

Zebras, donkeys, griffons, changelings, these guys, there's a lot of different creatures that reside in or near Equestria. I like to imagine that Equestria is one land among many on their planet, and different places have different cultures. (Equestria might be the most prosperous or at least the most magical, consider its monarchs control the sun and moon and all). Hey, there might be kingdoms on the other side of the planet that are homelands to cats and wolves.

 

Fun fact: zebras and donkeys are different species from the regular pony. Ponies are horses, which is Equus ferus, whereas donkeys are equus africanus, and the most common type of zebra, the Plains Zebra, is Equua quagga.

[SørenWolf 227]

Not bad, but don't forget dragons.

 

I don't think it is intentional though. There is no reason that they would want to place constraints on the numbers or types of other races.

You are correct I doubt that it was intentional but it still seemed kind of strange. Anyway lets get this back on track:

 

The one flaw in my theory is that we have only seen one Zebra; Zecora, hardly a decent sample size for assuming magical ability.

[Tall_But_Short_37 233]

I'm sure there's many, many more types of magical creatures in their world we've never seen or heard of before. Also, I haven't seen anyone in this thread mention the diamond dogs yet, who are sentient beings quite different from any ponies.

[Dusty Soul 2,611]

Zecora is quite possibly from another country.  Zecora is one of those organic medicine people that can basically cure everything.  Zebras are different then ponies also.

[Harmonic Revelations 8,835]

OP not to be dismissive or to down talk you or your ideas, but zebras aren't ponies, so they don't count as ponies. Just like the buffalo tribes they have their own cultures and such, they're not ponies.

[Cowl 128]

I'm sure there's many, many more types of magical creatures in their world we've never seen or heard of before. Also, I haven't seen anyone in this thread mention the diamond dogs yet, who are sentient beings quite different from any ponies.

Touche. Perhaps we should list all of the sentient species who have appeared in the show?

 

Though then we would need to come up with a definition for sentience...

 

Maybe its not worth the effort.

[NavelColt 22,881]

Twilight's quote from Zecora's debut episode Bridle Gossip, to be exact, is as follows:

 

"My books say that zebras come from a far away land."

 

Seeing as how she's the only zebra we've seen, she's the only African vibe character we've seen, and she's one of the few non-unicorn/alicorn characters capable of magic, I'd definitely say Zecora is from outside Equestria. The official canon map shows that Equestria is only one continent. The griffons and dragons seem to have their own continent locations, so I imagine Zebras are in an African-equivalent continent.