Quagga – An extinct South African zebra (Equus quagga) that had a yellowish-brown coat with darker stripes, exterminated in 1883. (Check out the photo at the bottom.)

The only quagga photographed alive was a mare in London’s Zoo in 1870. They were once found in great numbers in the highveld of the Cape Province and the southern part of the Orange Free State of South Africa. The name, quagga comes from the Bushmen’s word for zebra, the sound said to resemble the quagga’s call. Because of the confusion between different zebra species, particularly among the general public, the quagga had become extinct before it was realized that it may have been a separate species.

I blogged about the quagga before, but had to use it again. It’s a cool and unusual word.

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