Quagga

The Quagga (Equus quagga quagga) was a subspecies of the Plains Zebra (Equus quagga) that was natively found in the grasslands and savannas of south and southwestern Africa. It was identified as a distinct subspecies in 1778 and was first described in 1804.

The Quagga was the southernmost of the three subspecies of Plains Zebras, the other two being Burchell's Zebra (Equus quagga burchellii) and the Grant's Zebra (Equus quagga boehmi). It was easily distinguished from the other two subspecies by its distinctive stripes and coloration.

The Quagga had a brown body with stripes that only extended to the shoulders and hindquarters, while the Burchell's Zebra had a more striped body and the Grant's Zebra had a black and white striped body. The Quagga was also much smaller than the other two subspecies and was the only one that had a short mane.

The Quagga was hunted extensively for its hide and meat in the 19th century, leading to its eventual extinction in 1883. The last known wild Quagga was sighted in 1870, and the last captive Quagga died in Amsterdam in 1883. Despite its extinction, the Quagga has had a lasting legacy and its DNA has been used in recent years to attempt to recreate the Quagga through a process known as backbreeding.

The Quagga Project was launched in 1987 and the first backbred Quagga foal was born in 2005. Today, the Quagga Project continues to work towards the recreation of the Quagga in its original form.

# Description

The Quagga (Equus quagga quagga) was a subspecies of the plains zebra that was once found in the grasslands and savannas of south and southwestern Africa. It was a medium-sized equid, with a thick brownish coat and distinctive black and white stripes on its neck and chest.

The Quagga had a short, thick mane and tail, and its legs were brownish-grey in color. Its ears were short and its head was relatively wide compared to other zebras. The Quagga was a highly social animal, living in small herds of up to 12 individuals. It was a grazing animal, feeding on grasses, shrubs and other vegetation found in its habitat. It was also an adept swimmer, able to cross large rivers and wetlands. The Quagga was hunted extensively by humans in the 19th century and its population declined drastically.

It was declared extinct in 1883, and the last of its kind died in 1883 in the Amsterdam Zoo. The Quagga belongs to the kingdom Animalia, the phylum Chordata, the class Mammalia, the order Perissodactyla, the family Equidae, the genus Equus, the species Equus quagga and the subspecies Equus quagga quagga.

Its suborder is Hippomorpha and its infraorder is Equomorpha. Today, efforts are being made to bring the Quagga back to life through a process known as selective breeding.

The Quagga Project in the Netherlands has been selectively breeding Plains Zebras in the hopes of achieving a phenotype that is similar to the Quagga. It is believed that the Quagga may one day be restored to its former range.

# Taxonomy

The Quagga was a subspecies of the Plains Zebra that was found in the grasslands and savannas of south and southwestern Africa.

It was a heavily striped animal, with the stripes only covering the head, neck, and front quarters, while the back was a pale brown. It was slightly smaller than the Plains Zebra, with a shorter mane and tail.

The Quagga went extinct in the late 19th century due to overhunting and habitat destruction.

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Perissodactyla

Suborder: Hippomorpha

Family: Equidae

Genus: Equus

Species: Equus Quagga

Subspecies: Equus Quagga Quagga

# Range

The Quagga (Equus quagga quagga) was a subspecies of the Plains Zebra that was found only in the grasslands and savannas of south and southwestern Africa.

Its range once extended from the Cape of Good Hope in the south, to the Orange River in the north, and included the entire western coast of South Africa.

The Quagga was an unique subspecies of the Plains Zebra, having a shorter mane and a light brownish-yellow coat with brown stripes on its back and hindquarters. It was believed to have once been abundant throughout its range, but due to overhunting and habitat destruction, it was driven to extinction in the late 19th century.

The last known Quagga died in the Amsterdam Zoo in 1883. Although the Quagga is no longer around, its genetic makeup has been studied and used in conservation efforts to help revive its species by breeding a hybrid of the Plains Zebra and the Burchell's Zebra.

# Habitat

The Quagga was a species of zebra that was native to the grasslands and savannas of south and southwestern Africa. It was a highly gregarious species that lived in small herds, usually consisting of six to eight individuals.

The Quagga inhabited flat and open areas, such as plains and savannas, where there was plenty of grass to graze. They were able to survive in areas with sparse vegetation due to their ability to browse on shrubs and other vegetation.

Quaggas were able to survive in both dry and wet climates, and were found in areas with temperatures ranging from -10 to 40°C. They were also very tolerant of cold and could survive in snow-covered areas.

Quaggas were grazers and browsers, and were able to adapt to different food sources depending on the season. They were also able to survive in areas with limited water sources due to their ability to get moisture from their food. Quaggas were also able to survive in areas with limited water sources due to their ability to get moisture from their food.

The Quagga was an important part of the African savanna ecosystem, as it played an integral role in controlling the growth of grasses and other vegetation.

Unfortunately, this species was hunted to extinction in the late 19th century, making it one of the first species to be driven to extinction due to human activities.

# Behavior

The Quagga was a social and gregarious animal that tended to form larger herds. They were generally shy animals that avoided humans, and had a powerful flight response, meaning they would flee at the first sign of danger.

They were also very agile and could jump up to two meters in height if startled. They had a distinct social hierarchy that was based on size and age, with older and larger individuals having the dominant positions.

They were also known to have strong bonds to their companions and family members, and were known to mourn for lost companions. They had a diet of grasses and other plants, and could drink up to 30 liters of water per day.

In addition, they were also active during the day and night and spent most of their time grazing and foraging for food.