alphynix:Holocene Extinction Month #12 — QuaggaThe quagga (Equus quagga subsp. quagga) was a S
alphynix:Holocene Extinction Month #12 — QuaggaThe quagga (Equus quagga subsp. quagga) was a South African subspecies of the plains zebra. Up to 1.35m tall at the shoulder (4’5”), it was distinguished from other zebras by its primarily brown coloration and limited white striping on the front half of the body.Once found in great numbers, it was heavily hunted for meat and skins, and may also have been out-competed for forage by domestic livestock. The last known wild individual died in 1878, and the last captive specimen in Amsterdam’s Natura Artis Magistra zoo died in August 1883.Since the 1980s, the Quagga Project in South Africa has been attempting to “recreate” quagga-like zebras by selectively breeding individuals with reduced striping. Although the animals resulting from this project do resemble the quagga in external appearance, they are descended from an entirely separate lineage and will never be genetically “true” quaggas. -- source link