A few quirky quizzy facts …
 |
| These escapees might have followed the mob leader ... |
A group of sheep could be called ‘a mob’ …
Sheep can see behind themselves … their field of vision is 300
degrees …
Cattle are red/green colour blind … their primary sense is vision ...
Horses have bigger eyes than any other mammal that lives on
land … and their vision is nearly 360 degrees … they also have dichromatic vision ... similar to our red/green colour blindness ...
Turkeys originated from Mexico - not Turkey!
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| Quagga illustration by Samuel Daniell (1804) |
Quaggas are not native to Britain … but were seen in Britain
in the 1800s – drawings being made in the late 1700s and early 1800s, photos being
taken at London Zoo in 1863, 1864 and 1870; specimens made, skeletons going on show at
Museums …
 |
| Devil's Peak, Cape Town |
… and now there is a Quagga Project being undertaken near Devil’s
Peak, Cape Town …
That is Q for Quaint Quaggas, Quizzy Facts for Querying Quirky
minds … from Aspects of British County Rare Breeds …
Counties with
the letter Q …
(note some Counties have been
retired!, or amended over historical local government … but some I’ve included)
England: None
Northern
Ireland: None
Scotland: None
Wales: None
Hilary Melton-Butcher
Positive Letters Inspirational Stories
58 comments:
I saw a documentary about quagga's the other day! I figured they would come into your post!
I am thoroughly enjoying this series by you!
¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•` ¤ Good luck on the rest of your A to Z challenge
Sylvia @ The Creative Life
Quirky and fun.
Q would have me in a quagmire - but I am unsurprised that you nailed it.
How deliciously quaint the mob is and the info re their eyesight! I think the quagga is half horse half donkey, but I've have to query this before being sure. Thanks Hilary - so, NO counties in the UK beginning with Q? Reserved for the Queen -
I was fascinated by the quagga so I just looked it up. It seems they are classified as, not a species, but a sub-species of Saharan Zebras. They went extinct 100 years ago but the Quagga Project that you mentioned has brought them back!
CLICK HERE for Bazza’s argute Blog ‘To Discover Ice’
I'd never heard of a quagga before!
Hi from Queensland... just when I thought Jill's Quest in Qaqortoq would top the Qs you provide quaggas!
I though Quails would be the only candidate for Q, but of course you would find a different and quirky one! :) I think it's a little unfair that we don't have 360 degrees vision like horses, how cool would that be?
I thought Turkeys came from Tesco's! Another gem Hilary.
Another day in Amble Bay!
I recommend taking a look at quokkas - they are adorable looking fuzzy marsupials (I think) on an island off Australia. Horses have almost 360 vision?! Who knew? Maui Jungalow
Wow! Those are some superb facts.
Horses can see 360 degrees? really? Thats a bit creepy
Awesome read. Thanks for sharing
A Peice Of My Life
I can't imagine what it would be like to see behind yourself, I have enough problem looking forward. One has to wonder why red/green colour blindness is fine for cattle, why they don't need to see the difference between those colours.
Sophie
Sophie's Thoughts & Fumbles - Dragon Diaries
A challenging letter the Q but than there is the Quagga Never knew about him The vision of horses is fascinating and can be quite useful I guess
Enjoyed reading your quiz trivia. I'm impressed with the sheep and the horses.
I loved this quirky post! By the way, how come Turkeys are called so when they actually originated in Mexico? They should be called Mexico, instead. ;)
Quaggas!!! Love it, and I did not know about the turkey's Mexican origin....
Quagga. My husband fancies himself knowledgeable about animals - I'll need to see if he has ever heard of them. And I knew about turkeys, because we eat a lot of turkey here in the United States and they always bring up their origin story at Thanksgiving time. The Unknown Journey Ahead agingonthespectrum.blogspot.com
Interesting facts! And now I know why rioters are call a mob! Just like sheep's they are following some leader :P
Quaint
Thanks for the quirky post on Q! I wrote about the Quagga the last time I did the A to Z Challenge. (https://shirleycorder.com/quagga/) Please keep in touch! Shirley Q is Quest for Quality as you Build a Better Blog. #AtoZchallenge.
Interesting about the cattle colour blindness, Hilary, since my lovely Dad was red- bluecolour blind. I haven't done the A-Z challenge in a while. I might give it ago next year :)
Interesting - I did not know that a group of sheep was a mob. Quaggas look beautiful.
Emily | My Life In Ecuador | Quick stories - Rare Frog, Heated Toilet, Happy Snake
I've never heard of a quagga - but now I'm a full bottle on the subject - thanks for the little history lesson, I love learning new and interesting quirky facts.
People all over the world are now looking up quaggas.
Loved your post for Qs. I wrote about Quaggas during my last A to Z Challenge. Please keep in touch! Shirley Q is Quest for Quality as you Build a Better Blog. #AtoZchallenge.
A Quagga Project - I wonder what that involves, some kind of resurrection? A curious but intriguing animal. I guess 360 vision is the advantage of having your eyes on the sides of your head like a horse!
Is the first day where there are no counties in the UK starting with the letter in question?
Phillip | Q is for Quidditch
Thanks for the quirky facts!
I haven't heard of a quagga before. Interesting looking creatures. So it could be said then that mothers have vision like horses and sheep. :)
Discarded Darlings - Jean Davis, Speculative Fiction Writer, A to Z: Editing Fiction
Horses do have really big eyes. I used to be afraid of them! I have to admit, I giggled about the group of sheep being called a mob. "Hey boys, let's get 'em!" Picture an Al Capone voice. ;)
Yup, definitely never heard of a quagga.
Okkkkk. So that's why they cover the eyes of horses pulling carts here in India. So that they can only see in front of them and don't get distracted by other stuff! I didn't know that.
Quagga - I thought it was a mythological or fictional creature! :P
Happy AtoZing!
Chicky @ www.mysteriouskaddu.com
Such a neat evolutionary trick to have eyes in the back of your head. Yet instead of developing that, we developed nuclear weapons - crazy!
I didn't know sheep had such a large field of vision. Explains how ewes know when you are creeping up on them and their lambs.
I have definitely never heard of a quagga! Thanks, Hilary! Cheers, D
You would think, that living in cattle country as I do, I would have known some of these things. But no, no I did not. The vision information is fascinating! There is no sneaking up those guys. I love that a group of sheep could be called a mob. It seems like such a terrible word for what is usually a gentle animal.
Andrea
No wonder horses are so skiddish since they can see 360 degrees. And I never knew that about sheep being able to see behind themselves!
Well Hilary, I didn't know a single one of your quirky facts today! Nice job. I didn't see that coming - clearly I don't have horse eyes. :-)
Forgot to add - now I know why a zebra is a kwagga in Afrikaans.
You know I said I'd be right over when I finished writing that post (at 10:42). I've just finished it!
Admittedly I've now only got Y and Z to do but.... seven hours!
I had a feeling that Quaggas were Australian, but I need to check... must question all my assumptions now!
Jemima has Questions for you
I knew you would not be stuck in a Quagmire with Q. You are our Queen of well researched and amusing posts.
I heard turkeys were named after the country. Kind of makes sense, but not if they're originally from Mexico.
Still learning from you, you are an absolute star at finding all the quirky facts. Well done Diane
Don't think I have ever heard of a Quagga. Didn't know the horse's eye was so big. I do know elephants always seem to have teeny eyes for their size. Nor did I know sheep could see all round like that.
My former boss used to insist that "people are sheep"... with "mob" as a collective noun, she may have been more correct than she knew!
(300º vision?!? Sheep?!?)
Once again, Hilary, you have me thinking, "who knew???"
;-D
Sometimes I wish I could see 300-360 degrees. Although, my children were convinced, at times, that I had eyes in the back of my head!
I think horses have beautiful eyes and eyelashes.
Trudy @ Reel Focus
Food in Film: Quiche
What a fun collection of odd facts. Great for Memorial Day parties!
Hi Hilary,
Love your quirky facts!
i enjoyed going back through some of the previous letters - love your animal theme! and today's quirky quizzy facts =)
and yay piggies!
can't believe it's already Q day! How do you like the new way to connect with other participants? I curious!
thanks for always stopping by!
good luck with the rest of the challenge.
Tara Tyler Talks
@ Sylvia – oh how interesting … I haven’t seen anything recently about quaggas on tv … but am delighted to know you’re enjoying the series … thank you ..
@ EC – exactly what it’s meant to be … it was fun looking around for some quirky facts …
@ Susan – yes I was fond of a ‘mob’ for some sheep … and the eyesight aspects bemused me. Quagga seemingly is a sub-species of the Plains Zebra … but science is still ongoing – as per the Cape Project. Nope no counties beginning with Q – not even the Queen’s county!
@ Bazza – ah thank you – you confirm my note above … and yes they are trying to bring them back. We had one live quagga here at the beginning of the 1900s … so there is evidence to look at …
@ Deniz – I’ve known about them for years … must be a British anomaly …
@ Carmel – I must look at Jill’s post … I guess the Queen does have Queensland too (for the moment?!) … but I believe it is down under?!
@ Nila – I hadn’t thought of Quails … so ‘next time’?! The vision aspects I thought were fun … and fitted the Quirky aspects of the post – think of all the troubles we could get into if we could see 360 degrees …..????
@ Keith – oh yes … not even from your butcher friend?!
@ Courtney – I hadn’t heard of Quokkas … but they wouldn’t have fitted my British Rare Breeds profile … however – great to know about the little souls … the eye-vision facts were amazing …
@ DeeDee – thank you … I hadn’t realised they can see practically all the way round …
@ Sophie – I agree, it would be strange to be able to see behind me and think how many trips (falling over trips) we’d be looking back at – having already gone past. I don’t know re the colour aspects – I thought I should try and write my long post on colour … there’s a few extra reasons now …
@ Marja – good to see you – it’s interesting about vision and colour …
@ Cynthia – thank you … glad you enjoyed the quizzy, quirky facts …
@ Vinodini – turkeys are so named, because they were brought in from the middle east by Turkey merchants – so called traders from the Middle Eastern end of the Silk Road … originally ‘turkey birds’ – shortened to just ‘Turkeys’ …
@ Martha – it’s a good animal for this sort of thing – and I learnt they’re doing the Quagga Project in the Cape region. I had forgotten that Turkeys were originally from Mexico …
@ Bookworm – oh good to test your hubby … did he know? Oh yes – spoil sports all the other educators … similarly we get for Christmas with St Nicholas …
@ Neha – good to meet you here … I hadn’t thought about that aspect: rioters being called a mob … but they are mindlessly following so often …
@ Shirley – I’ll have to see what you wrote for Quaggas … I’ll be over (Sometime!) …
@ Madeleine – lovely to see you – the cattle colour blindness was interesting to read about, and men tend to have the colour blindness tendency rather than women … that’s good you’re considering the A-Z for 2018 …
@ Emily – glad you enjoyed the snippets re sheep, quaggas etc …
@ Leanne – lovely to meet you – and am glad the Quagga has taken a place in your heart! Yes I love learning …. Full stop!
@ Arleen – they may well be … and looking up quirky facts too ..
@ Nick – yes the Quagga project in Cape Town … we had a living quagga here in the UK in the late 1800s … they were found in South Africa until about the 1850s … so they are relative new in their demise.
It’s interesting the evolution of certain aspects of different animals …
@ Phillip – yes I’d say it is … and there’s at least one other –where there are no counties beginning with a particular letter …
Yes Quaggas were called this by the Khoikhoi, when they described zebra or similar animals …
@ Sue – happily provided!
@ Jean – Quaggas are an interesting animal. Mothers with vision … I’m not sure –but they sure are instinctive and aware of their little ones …
@ Elsie – I’m still afraid of horses – but I don’t get that near to them. Glad ‘the mob’ gave you a good giggle and reminder about Al Capone …
@ CD – well they be real critters not that long ago – 1800s …
@ Chicky – yes you’re probably right- that’s why horses are put in blinkers – thanks for pointing that out … Quaggas were real in the 1800s in South Africa …
@ Curtis – I know we have evolved in not quite the right way have we – I hope we can sort our human lives out very soon …
@ Bob – I must say these quirky facts explain a few things about animals …
@ Denise – well glad I’ve enlightened you now re ‘a quagga’ …
@ Andrea – it’s funny how interesting facts can slip us by – you’ll look at your cattle in a different way now … I think sheep being a mob is quite good – if we read Neha’s comment about ‘following their leader mindlessly wherever they’re going’ makes sense then .. .
@ Roland – yes that’s a good word for describing horses at times when unknown people are around … ‘skittish’ – the eyesight aspects I thought were interesting …
@ Deborah – I like to surprise … or at least keep people guessing! So glad I did …
@ Jemima – yes I did .. oh writing posts takes forever sometimes – well done on having Y &Z left … Quokkas are probably what you’re thinking about – which Courtney mentioned earlier …
@ Joanne – thanks so much … I work out the difficult letters before I start the Challenge – then can meet the letters …
@ Liz – yes the naming of a Turkey is an odd one isn’t it
@ Diane – hopefully that’s what I’m writing for … to entertain and give some education at the same time .. thanks!
@ Jo – life is full of interesting facts … elephants’ eyes appear to be tiny don’t they …
@ Jz – yes I think that phraseology has been around for a long time – people act like sheep quite often … lots of “who knew” here – just happy you’re happy!
@ Trudy – I think mothers have that inbuilt instinct to look around and check in … children learn that very young … and yes horses are beguiling …
@ Jacqui – well that’s good if you can bring them up for quizzes …
@ Monti – thank you .. good to see you …
@ Tara – that’s lovely to read you’ve looked back over some of the letters – I’m glad the theme appears to have been successful – especially the piggies, and then the quirky quizzy facts …
Pleasure stopping by … I have to say I don’t like the new way of doing things … but then I’m not into social media – however I can’t worry – as lots of people seem to have found me and come back to read .. for which I’m very grateful …
Cheers to you all – thanks for your visits and I love hearing from you … Hilary
Good to know about turkeys not being from Turkey (my niece lives in Turkey, so that always captures my attention.) But who knew they came from Mexico???
I thought turkeys were from India!
I've never associated turkeys with Mexico. Not a common dish to find in a Mexican restaurant. They must have already spread into the U.S. by the time the early settlers got here. I'd heard that Benjamin Franklin had suggested the turkey be named as the National Bird, but the eagle won over which was probably the wiser choice.
Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out
That information about the eyes of different animals is fascinating and slightly freaky. I guess it makes sense for survival that they can see so far around themselves. I always thought that Turkeys were native to North America due to them being eaten at Thanksgiving. Love you post.
Pamela @ Highlands Days of Fun
I knew the turkey did not come from Turkey but I thought they were North American, meaning the States and Douthern parts of Canada. I wonder if one had DNA from extinct species, if they could be created a la Jurassic Park but not the type that can eat people in one gulp
Fabulously fun facts! Love the mob of sheep hehe. Remarkable about the horse's eyes (and sheep's too). And I'd never heard of a quagga...
A to Z 2017: Magical and Medicinal Herbs
I didn't know sheep or horses had such a large field of vision. The colour blindness makes sense, though. Similar to dogs, I believe.
Wow, I learned a few things here. I had no idea horses and sheep had such large fields of vision. And, turkeys came from Mexico...how cool!
Thanks, Hilary!
"Female Scientists Before Our Time"
Shells–Tales–Sails
@ Lynn - tis strange the way things get named ... but yes turkeys come from Mexico!
@ Beste - another ... Turkeys from India, but no ... tis Mexico ...
@ Lee - it's a funny world isn't it. You could have had the turkey as your national bird -but the eagle seems a better choice ... roast turkey in Mexico - I too doubt that happens ...
@ Pam - the quizzy and quirky facts suited my Q post ... the Turkey is associated with Thanksgiving usually ...
@ Birgit - well at least you knew they didn't come from Turkey ... I'm not sure they're thinking of gleaning DNA from them - there's enough around. So we won't be gobbled up ...
@ Sara - yes a mob of sheep ... and then the other facts - the horse's eyes and other animals ... while the Quagga could come back perhaps ...
@ Debbie - nor did I know about the eyes of animals til I found a reference ... probably similar colour aspects re dogs - and colour blindness ...
@ Sharon - I knew the turkey bit ... but was so interested to know about the vision fields of horses and sheep ... how cool - rightly so!
Cheers to you all - thanks so much for coming by ... Hilary
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