Quagga; Tring Zoological Museum; 21st March 2010

Quagga; Tring Zoological Museum; 21st March 2010
22-03-2010

22-03-2010

I've wanted to visit this museum for years, particularly to see the quagga(s)

22-03-2010

There is only one quagga in the museum. A visit is thoroughly recommended; it’s a fascinating place.

23-03-2010

It is indeed fascinating - not least because it's so Victorian. The large collection of domestic dogs is a bit disconcerting though ...... not that I can think of a genuine reason why I should find it so ! Guess not what you expect.

23-03-2010

I've seen photographs of the dogs, and although they're another display I'm keen to see (being a dog lover, I'm fascinated by extinct breeds and how our current ones have changed over the years), I too find them a bit disconcerting. I think it's because of my mindset; I look at them and class them as "man's best friend" in my head, as loved as a human rellie and up there with being as dear as my granny.

So, to see them stuffed and on display is more gruesome to me personally than, say, seeing the stuffed quagga

23-03-2010

Yes, I think that's along the same lines as my feelings. I have cats rather than dogs but wouldn't like to see them stuffed as I'd kind of find it a bit disrespectful ! If I recall correctly - haven't been in around 4-5 years - some of the dogs are in noticeably better condition than others - understandable I suppose due to the age of some of them, but again, find this a bit 'ick'. I also seem to remember that the standard of taxidermy wasn't consistent so that some seemed almost to be caricatures ..... and again, you feel it's a bit disrespectful and perhaps they'd be better not displayed at all.

Think the famous greyhound Mick the Miller is one of them ......

23-03-2010

Yes, I think that the greyhound “Mick the Miller” is on display at Tring although, personally, I find the domestic dogs the least interesting exhibit in the Tring Museum and never really pay much attention to them on my visits.

Returning to the quagga:-

The Tring specimen is especially noteworthy as being quite heavily striped for a quagga; I’ve seen about a dozen museum quaggas and this one probably has the most stripes of any quaggas that I’ve encountered.

07-04-2010

[QUOTE=Tim May;298844 Returning to the quagga:-

The Tring specimen is especially noteworthy as being quite heavily striped for a quagga; I’ve seen about a dozen museum quaggas and this one probably has the most stripes of any quaggas that I’ve encountered.[/QUOTE]

You've no doubt seen the photos of all the museum specimens on the Quagga Project website. There are one or two in Europe similarly heavily striped like the Tring one. Unfortunately it (the Tring Quagga) is so faded you can't really tell the true colour of it.

07-04-2010

That's whats most interesting about many of these Dog breeds in this display, you can see how much simpler in appearance many of them were then compared to their modern counterparts.

07-04-2010

Yes, I’ve seen the photographs of the museum specimens on the Quagga Project website.

Of the twenty-three mounted quaggas depicted on the website, I’ve actually seen twelve of them, including the Mainz specimens (one of which is heavily striped too). Anybody seriously interested in quaggas should visit this museum.

I’ve never seen the Weisbaden quagga; this is one I’m keen to see; according to the late Reinhold Rau it is the London Zoo stallion that was destroyed in 1864 after sustaining a serious injury.

27-11-2010

Tim- Something I picked up on from that museum postcard you sent me.. and now I can see it again on the Tring Quagga's head too.

There is a faint horizontal line running midway down the jawline from under the eye to the nostril- below is more heavily striped while above is slightly fainter/more brownish, except for the forehead. From a distance it forms quite a distinct marking. Look on your postcard or photos and you will see it on all of the Quaggas, even the foal. No modern zebras have this.

I recently found a modern painting of 'Quaggas in the Bushveld' on the internet and the artist has obviously noticed this marking and featured it on all the Quaggas in the painting too. (But its not apparent on the London Quagga photos).

I'm pretty sure their mane was shorter too than in other South African Plains zebras- the ones in the Quagga project all have very tall 'crest-like' manes.

28-11-2010

A very interesting observation, Pertinax, thanks for drawing it to my attention.

28-11-2010

It just adds more fuel to my theory that it was a completely seperate/isolated race of Plains Zebra with its own unique characteristics that can't be recreated!

Other possible ways the Quagga's features differed from other Plains Zebras that I've noticed;

Different colour scheme- brown not black, and including the dark stripes(?). Buff, rather than white background colour on head, neck etc.
Different striping pattern including the relative width of the dark/light stripes, particularly on forequarters. Head markings as described.
Larger body size(?) in relation to head- it was the most Southernmost race
Smaller ears(?)
Shorter mane in relation to to other Southern plains zebras

29-11-2010

I agree with you that this feature is not apparent on the photographs of the London Zoo quagga mare; is that just individual variation, or is it because the photos are in black & white and this is only obvious in colour?

02-12-2010

Not sure, but its certainly evident on most of the other Museum specimens.

Now I'm interested to know the real colour of the Quagga. We always presume these skins are 'faded' but are they really, and to what degree? . Other b/w zebra skins of similar age don't seem to fade that much so I suspect the Quaggas haven't either. I believe their stripes and body colour may always have been similar to what the museum specimens show now.

I've seen a photo of one wild Damara zebra that has a very yellow ground colour- far more so than any of the animals in the Quagga Project. An animal like that could help them a lot.