The quagga is an extinct subspecies of the plains zebra that lived in South Africa. Its name is derived from
its call, which sounded like "kwa-ha-ha". The quagga is believed to
have been around 257 cm (8 ft 5 in) long and 125–135 cm
(4 ft 1 in–4 ft 5 in) tall at the shoulder. It could be
distinguished from other zebras by its limited patterning of primarily brown
and white stripes, mainly on the front part of the body. Little is known about
its behaviour but it may have gathered in herds of 30–50 individuals. They were
once found in great numbers in the Karoo of Cape Province and the southern part of the Orange Free Statein South Africa. After Dutch settlement of South Africa
began, the quagga was heavily hunted, and it competed with domesticated animals
for forage. Some specimens were taken to European zoos (one pictured in London Zoo, 1870), but breeding
programmes were not successful. It was extinct in the wild by 1878, and the last quagga died in Amsterdam on 12
August 1883. The quagga was the first extinct animal to have its DNA analysed,
and theQuagga Project is trying to recreate its pelage characteristics by selectively breedingBurchell's zebras. (Full article...)The quagga is an extinct subspecies of the plains zebra that lived in South Africa. Its name is derived from
its call, which sounded like "kwa-ha-ha". The quagga is believed to
have been around 257 cm (8 ft 5 in) long and 125–135 cm
(4 ft 1 in–4 ft 5 in) tall at the shoulder. It could be
distinguished from other zebras by its limited patterning of primarily brown
and white stripes, mainly on the front part of the body. Little is known about
its behaviour but it may have gathered in herds of 30–50 individuals. They were
once found in great numbers in the Karoo of Cape Province and the southern part of the Orange Free Statein South Africa. After Dutch settlement of South Africa
began, the quagga was heavily hunted, and it competed with domesticated animals
for forage. Some specimens were taken to European zoos (one pictured in London Zoo, 1870), but breeding
programmes were not successful. It was extinct in the wild by 1878, and the last quagga died in Amsterdam on 12
August 1883. The quagga was the first extinct animal to have its DNA analysed,
and theQuagga Project is trying to recreate its pelage characteristics by selectively breedingBurchell's zebras. (Full article...)The quagga is an extinct subspecies of the plains zebra that lived in South Africa. Its name is derived from
its call, which sounded like "kwa-ha-ha". The quagga is believed to
have been around 257 cm (8 ft 5 in) long and 125–135 cm
(4 ft 1 in–4 ft 5 in) tall at the shoulder. It could be
distinguished from other zebras by its limited patterning of primarily brown
and white stripes, mainly on the front part of the body. Little is known about
its behaviour but it may have gathered in herds of 30–50 individuals. They were
once found in great numbers in the Karoo of Cape Province and the southern part of the Orange Free Statein South Africa. After Dutch settlement of South Africa
began, the quagga was heavily hunted, and it competed with domesticated animals
for forage. Some specimens were taken to European zoos (one pictured in London Zoo, 1870), but breeding
programmes were not successful. It was extinct in the wild by 1878, and the last quagga died in Amsterdam on 12
August 1883. The quagga was the first extinct animal to have its DNA analysed,
and theQuagga Project is trying to recreate its pelage characteristics by selectively breedingBurchell's zebras. (Full article...)