From en.wikipedia.org:
[Domesticated animal primarily used for transportation] [Other uses] [Burro]
[small=yes] [Pp-move-indef] [date=April 2025] {{subspeciesbox | name = Donkey
| image = Donkey in Clovelly, North Devon, England.jpg | image_caption = A
donkey in Clovelly, North Devon | image2 = | status = DOM | genus = Equus |
species = africanus | species_link = African wild ass | subspecies = asinus |
authority = Linnaeus, 1758 | range_map = | range_map_caption = Donkeys, feral,
horse world distribution }}
The DONKEY or ASS is a domesticated equine. It derives from the African wild
ass, _Equus africanus_, and may be classified either as a subspecies thereof,
_EQUUS AFRICANUS ASINUS_, or as a separate species, _EQUUS ASINUS_.[cabi] It
was domesticated in Africa some [5,000] years ago,[cabi] and has been used
mainly as a working animal since that time.
There are more than 40 million donkeys in the world, mostly in underdeveloped
countries, where they are used principally as draught or pack animals. While
working donkeys are often associated with those living at or below
subsistence, small numbers of donkeys or asses are kept for breeding, as pets,
and for livestock protection in developed countries.
An adult male donkey is a _jack_ or _jackass_, an adult female is a _jenny_ or
_jennet_,<ref name=oad/><ref name=ncd/><ref name=alberta/> and an immature
donkey of either sex is a _foal_.<ref name=alberta/> Jacks are often mated
with female horses (mares) to produce _mules_; the less common hybrid of a
male horse (stallion) and jenny is a _hinny_.
** Nomenclature
Traditionally, the scientific name for the donkey is _Equus asinus asinus_, on
the basis of the principle of priority used for scientific names of animals.
However, the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature ruled in 2003
that if the domestic and the wild species are considered subspecies of a
common species, the scientific name of the wild species has priority, even
when that subspecies was described after the domestic subspecies.<ref
name=Opinion2007/> This means that the proper scientific name for the donkey
is _Equus africanus asinus_ when it is considered a subspecies and _Equus
asinus_ when it is considered a species.<ref name=wilson/><ref
name=Opinion2007/>
At one time, the synonym _ass_ was the more common term for the donkey. The
first recorded use of _donkey_ was in either 1784<ref name=fairman/> or
1785.[OED] While the word _ass_ has cognates in most other Indo-European
languages, _donkey_ is an etymologically obscure word for which no credible
cognate has been identified. Hypotheses on its derivation include the
following:
- perhaps from Spanish for its don -like gravity; the donkey was also known as "the King of Spain's trumpeter". <ref name=grose/>
- perhaps a diminutive of _dun_ (dull grayish-brown), a typical donkey colour. <ref name=OED/> <ref name=webster/>
- perhaps from the name _Duncan_ . <ref name=OED/> <ref name="AHD4donkey"/>
- perhaps of imitative origin. <ref name="AHD4donkey" />
From the 18th century, _donkey_ gradually replaced _ass_ and _jenny_ replaced
_she-ass_, which is now considered archaic.[1] The change may have come about
through a tendency to avoid pejorative terms in speech and may be comparable
to the substitution in North American English of _rooster_ for _cock_, or that
of _rabbit_ for _coney_, which was formerly homophonic with _cunny_ (a
variation of the word cunt). By the end of the 17th century, changes in
pronunciation of both _ass_ and _arse_ had caused them to become homophones in
some varieties of English.[diaz] Other words used for the ass in English from
this time include _cuddy_ in Scotland, _neddy_ in southwestern England and
_dicky_ in southeastern England;[diaz] _moke_ is documented in the 19th
century and may be of Welsh or Romani origin.
_Burro_ is a word for donkey in both Spanish and Portuguese. In the United
States, it is commonly applied to the feral donkeys that live west of the
Rocky Mountains;<ref name="blm" /> it may also refer to any small
donkey.[webster2]
** History
[Evolution of the horse]
The genus _Equus_, which includes all extant equines, is believed to have
evolved from _Dinohippus_, via the intermediate form _Plesippus_. One of the
oldest species is _Equus simplicidens_, described as zebra-like with a
donkey-shaped head. The oldest fossil to date is approximately 3.5 million
years old, and was located in the US state of Idaho. The genus appears to
have spread quickly into the Old World, with the similarly aged _Equus
livenzovensis_ documented from western Europe and Russia.<ref name =
"Azzaroli1992">[last=Azzaroli ]
Molecular phylogenies indicate the most recent common ancestor of all modern
equids (members of the genus _Equus_) lived ~5.6 (3.9–7.8) mya. Direct
paleogenomic sequencing of a 700,000-year-old middle Pleistocene horse
metapodial bone from Canada implies a more recent 4.07 Myr before present date
for the most recent common ancestor (MRCA) within the range of 4.0 to 4.5 Myr
BP.[2] The oldest divergencies are the Asian hemiones (subgenus _E. ( Asinus
)_, including the kulan, onager, and kiang), followed by the African zebras
(subgenera _E. ( Dolichohippus )_, and _E. ( Hippotigris )_). All other
modern forms including the domesticated horse (and many fossil Pliocene and
Pleistocene forms) belong to the subgenus _E. ( Equus )_ which diverged ~4.8
(3.2–6.5) million years ago.<ref name =
"WeinstockMolecularPerspective">[last=Weinstock ]
The ancestors of the modern donkey are the Nubian and Somalian subspecies of
African wild ass.[Clut] Remains of domestic donkeys dating to the fourth
millennium BC have been found in Ma'adi in Lower Egypt, and it is believed
that the domestication of the donkey was accomplished long after the
domestication of cattle, sheep and goats in the seventh and eighth millennia
BC. Donkeys were probably first domesticated by pastoral people in Nubia, and
they supplanted the ox as the chief pack animal of that culture. The
domestication of donkeys served to increase the mobility of pastoral cultures,
having the advantage over ruminants of not needing time to chew their cud, and
were vital in the development of long-distance trade across Egypt. In the
Dynasty IV era of Egypt, between 2675 and 2565 BC, wealthy members of society
were known to own over 1,000 donkeys, employed in agriculture, as dairy and
meat animals and as pack animals.<ref name=IMH/> In 2003, the tomb of either
King Narmer or King Hor-Aha (two of the first Egyptian pharaohs) was excavated
and the skeletons of ten donkeys were found buried in a manner usually used
with high ranking humans. These burials show the importance of donkeys to the
early Egyptian state and its ruler.<ref name=fox/>
By the end of the fourth millennium BC, the donkey had spread to Southwest
Asia, and the main breeding centre had shifted to Mesopotamia by 1800 BC. The
breeding of large, white riding asses made Damascus famous,[date=April 2016]
while Syrian breeders developed at least three other breeds, including one
preferred by women for its easy gait. The Muscat or Yemen ass was developed
in Arabia. By the second millennium BC, the donkey was brought to Europe,
possibly at the same time as viticulture was introduced, as the donkey is
associated with the Syrian god of wine, Dionysus. Greeks spread both of these
to many of their colonies, including those in what are now Italy, France and
Spain; Romans dispersed them throughout their empire.<ref name=IMH/>
The first donkeys came to the Americas on ships of the Second Voyage of
Christopher Columbus, and were landed at Hispaniola in 1495.<ref name=roots/>
The first to reach North America may have been two animals taken to Mexico by
Juan de Zumárraga, the first bishop of Mexico, who arrived there on 6 December
1528, while the first donkeys to reach what is now the United States may have
crossed the Rio Grande with Juan de Oñate in April 1598.<ref name=burro/> From
that time on they spread northward, finding use in missions and mines.
Donkeys were documented as present in what today is Arizona in 1679. By the
Gold Rush years of the 19th century, the burro was the beast of burden of
choice of early prospectors in the western United States. By the end of the
placer mining boom, many of them escaped or were abandoned, and a feral
population established itself.[date=September 2024]
*** Conservation status
About 41 million donkeys were reported worldwide in 2006.<ref name=mon />
China had the most with 11 million, followed by Pakistan, Ethiopia and Mexico.
As of 2017, however, the Chinese population was reported to have dropped to 3
million, with African populations under pressure as well, due to increasing
trade and demand for donkey products in China.[3] Some researchers believe the
actual number may be somewhat higher since many donkeys go uncounted.<ref
name=starkey/> The number of breeds and percentage of world population for
each of the FAO's world regions was in 2006:<ref name=mon />
{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto;" |- ! Region !! No. of
breeds !! % of world pop. |- | Africa || style="text-align:right;"|26 ||
style="text-align:right;"|26.9 |- | Asia and Pacific ||
style="text-align:right;"|32 || style="text-align:right;"|37.6 |- | Europe and
the Caucasus || style="text-align:right;"|51 || style="text-align:right;"|3.7
|- | Latin America and the Caribbean || style="text-align:right;"|24 ||
style="text-align:right;"|19.9 |- | Near and Middle East ||
style="text-align:right;"|47 || style="text-align:right;"|11.8 |- | United
States and Canada || style="text-align:right;"|5 ||
style="text-align:right;"|0.1 |- | World || style="text-align:right;"|185 ||
style="text-align:right;"|41 million head |}
In 1997, the number of donkeys in the world was reported to be continuing to
grow, as it had steadily done throughout most of history; factors cited as
contributing to this were increasing human population, progress in economic
development and social stability in some poorer nations, conversion of forests
to farm and range land, rising prices of motor vehicles and fuel, and the
popularity of donkeys as pets.<ref name=starkey/><ref name=blench2000/> Since
then, the world population of donkeys is reported to be rapidly shrinking,
falling from 43.7 million to 43.5 million between 1995 and 2000, and to only
41 million in 2006.<ref name=mon /> The fall in population is pronounced in
developed countries; in Europe, the total number of donkeys fell from 3
million in 1944 to just over 1 million in 1994.<ref name=svend5/>
The Domestic Animal Diversity Information System (DAD-IS) of the FAO listed
189 breeds of ass in June 2011.<ref name=dad/> In 2000 the number of breeds of
donkey recorded worldwide was 97, and in 1995 it was 77. The rapid increase
is attributed to attention paid to identification and recognition of donkey
breeds by the FAO's Animal Genetic Resources project.<ref name=mon/> The rate
of recognition of new breeds has been particularly high in some developed
countries. In France only one breed, the Baudet du Poitou, was recognised
until the early 1990s; by 2005, a further six donkey breeds had official
recognition.<ref name=inra/>
In developed countries, the welfare of donkeys both at home and abroad has
become a concern, and a number of sanctuaries for retired and rescued donkeys
have been set up. The largest is The Donkey Sanctuary near Sidmouth, England,
which also supports donkey welfare projects in Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Kenya,
and Mexico.<ref name=ds2006/>
In 2017, a drop in the number of Chinese donkeys, combined with the fact that
they are slow to reproduce, meant that Chinese suppliers began to look to
Africa. As a result of the increase in demand, and the price that could be
charged, Kenya opened three donkey abattoirs. Concerns for donkeys'
well-being have resulted in a number of African countries (including Uganda,
Tanzania, Botswana, Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Senegal) banning China from
buying their donkey products.<ref name=":0" />
In 2019, The Donkey Sanctuary warned that the global donkey population could
be reduced by half over the next half decade as the demand for ejiao increases
in China.[4][5]
** Characteristics
[ List of donkey breeds]
Donkeys vary considerably in size, depending on both breed and environmental
conditions, and heights at the withers range from less than [90] to
approximately [150].[cabi] Working donkeys in the poorest countries have a
life expectancy of 12 to 15 years;<ref name=nsw/> in more prosperous
countries, they may have a lifespan of 30 to 50 years.<ref name=alberta/>
Donkeys are adapted to marginal desert lands. Unlike wild and feral horses,
wild donkeys in dry areas are solitary and do not form harems. Each adult
donkey establishes a home range; breeding over a large area may be dominated
by one jack.<ref name=svend3/> The loud call or bray of the donkey, which
typically lasts for twenty seconds<ref name=canacoo/><ref name=whitehead/> and
can be heard for over three kilometres, may help keep in contact with other
donkeys over the wide spaces of the desert.[6] Donkeys have large ears, which
may pick up more distant sounds, and may help cool the donkey's blood.[7]
Donkeys can defend themselves by biting, striking with the front hooves or
kicking with the hind legs. Their vocalization, called a bray, is often
represented in English as "hee haw".
*** Cross on back
Most donkeys have dorsal and shoulder stripes, primitive markings which form a
distinctive cross pattern on their backs.<ref
name=lookalikecollage>[url=http://www.duncentralstation.com/Look-A-LikeCollages.html
][8]
*** Breeding
A jenny is normally pregnant for about 12 months, though the gestation period
varies from 11 to 14 months,<ref name=alberta />[9] and usually gives birth to
a single foal. Births of twins are rare, though less so than in horses.<ref
name=alberta/> About 1.7 percent of donkey pregnancies result in twins; both
foals survive in about 14 percent of those.[10] In general jennies have a
conception rate that is lower than that of horses (i.e., less than the 60–65%
rate for mares).<ref name=alberta />
Although jennies come into heat within 9 or 10 days of giving birth, their
fertility remains low, and it is likely the reproductive tract has not
returned to normal.<ref name=alberta/> Thus it is usual to wait one or two
further oestrous cycles before rebreeding, unlike the practice with mares.
Jennies are usually very protective of their foals, and some will not come
into estrus while they have a foal at side.[11] The time lapse involved in
rebreeding, and the length of a jenny's gestation, means that a jenny will
have fewer than one foal per year. Because of this and the longer gestation
period, donkey breeders do not expect to obtain a foal every year, as horse
breeders often do, but may plan for three foals in four years.<ref
name=alberta/>
Donkeys can interbreed with other members of the family Equidae, and are
commonly interbred with horses. The hybrid between a jack and a mare is a
mule, valued as a working and riding animal in many countries. Some large
donkey breeds such as the Asino di Martina Franca, the Baudet du Poitou and
the Mammoth Jack are raised only for mule production. The hybrid between a
stallion and a jenny is a hinny, and is less common. Like other inter-species
hybrids, mules and hinnies are usually sterile.<ref name=alberta/> Donkeys can
also breed with zebras, in which case the offspring is called a zonkey (among
other names).
*** Behaviour
Donkeys have a notorious reputation for stubbornness, but this has been
attributed to a much stronger sense of self-preservation than exhibited by
horses.<ref name=abc/> Likely based on a stronger prey instinct and a weaker
connection with humans, it is considerably more difficult to force or frighten
a donkey into doing something it perceives to be dangerous for whatever
reason. Once a person has earned their confidence they can be willing and
companionable partners and very dependable in work.[12]
Although formal studies of their behaviour and cognition are rather limited,
donkeys appear to be quite intelligent, cautious, friendly, playful, and eager
to learn.[13]
** Uses
<gallery mode="packed" heights="200px" style="text-align:left; font-size:94%">
File:Skegness4web.jpg|Classic British seaside donkeys in Skegness File:104
Donkeys in Tayrona Park Colombia.JPG|Pack donkeys in Tayrona National Natural
Park in northern Colombia File:Esel auf Ydra.jpg|Donkeys for transport on the
island of Hydra File:Uyghur man on his donkey cart. Kashgar.jpg|Uyghur man on
his donkey cart. Kashgar File:Donkey Equus asinus Tanzania 1114 cropped
Nevit.jpg|A donkey in Tanzania. </gallery>
The donkey has been used as a working animal for at least [5,000] years. Of
the more than 40 million donkeys in the world, about 96% are in underdeveloped
countries, where they are used principally as pack animals or for draught work
in transport or agriculture. After human labour, the donkey is the cheapest
form of agricultural power.<ref name=pearson/> They may also be ridden, or
used for threshing, raising water, milling and other work.<ref name=aluja/>
Some cultures that prohibit women from working with oxen in agriculture do not
extend this taboo to donkeys.<ref name=ifad/>
In developed countries where their use as beasts of burden has disappeared,
donkeys are used to sire mules, to guard sheep,<ref name=IMH/><ref
name=dohner/> for donkey rides for children or tourists, and as pets. Donkeys
may be pastured or stabled with horses and ponies, and are thought to have a
calming effect on nervous horses. If a donkey is introduced to a mare and
foal, the foal may turn to the donkey for support after it has been weaned
from its mother.<ref name=ypte/>
In the United States, Canada, and Australia, donkeys are used as livestock
guard animals for smaller livestock such as sheep.[14] When working as
livestock guard animals, also called predator control animals or mobile flock
protectors, donkeys will bray loudly and attack potential predators by kicking
out with their front hooves.<ref name=":1" /> In 2019, donkeys comprised 14.2%
of livestock guard animals in the United States.[15]
A few donkeys are milked or raised for meat.<ref name="starkey" />
Approximately 3.5 million donkeys and mules are slaughtered each year for meat
worldwide.[16] In Italy, which has the highest consumption of equine meat in
Europe and where donkey meat is the main ingredient of several regional
dishes, about 1,000 donkeys were slaughtered in 2010, yielding approximately
[100] of meat.<ref name="istat" /> Asses' milk may command good prices: the
average price in Italy in 2009 was €15 per litre,<ref name="latte" /> and a
price of €6 per 100 ml was reported from Croatia in 2008; it is used for soaps
and cosmetics as well as dietary purposes. The niche markets for both milk
and meat are expanding.<ref name="mon" /> In the past, donkey skin was used in
the production of parchment.<ref name="mon" /> In 2017, the UK based charity
The Donkey Sanctuary estimated that 1.8 million skins were traded every year,
but the demand could be as high as 10 million.[17]
In China, donkey meat is considered a delicacy with some restaurants
specializing in such dishes, and Guo Li Zhuang restaurants offer the genitals
of donkeys in dishes. Donkey-hide gelatin is produced by soaking and stewing
the hide to make a traditional Chinese medicine product. Ejiao, the gelatine
produced by boiling donkey skins, can sell for up to $388 per kilogram, at
October 2017 prices.[18]
*** In warfare
During World War I John Simpson Kirkpatrick, a British stretcher bearer
serving with the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, and Richard Alexander
"Dick" Henderson of the New Zealand Medical Corps used donkeys to rescue
wounded soldiers from the battlefield at Gallipoli.<ref name=anzac/><ref
name=nzh/>
According to British food writer Matthew Fort, donkeys were used in the
Italian Army. The Mountain Fusiliers each had a donkey to carry their gear,
and in extreme circumstances the animal could be eaten.<ref name=Vespa/>
Donkeys have also been used to carry explosives in conflicts that include the
war in Afghanistan and others.<ref name=evans/><ref name=boaz/> In 2025
Donkeys were issued to Russian forces participating in the invasion of Ukraine
to ferry supplies, with Russian officials stating logistical issues as the
reason.[19][20]
** Care
*** Shoeing
{{multiple image
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| image1 = Donkey shoe.jpg
| caption1 = A donkey shoe with calkins
| alt1 =
| width1 = 125
| image2 = Cyprian Farriers (1900) - TIMEA.jpg
| caption2 = Farriers shoeing a donkey in Cyprus in 1900
| alt2 =
| width2 = 200
| footer =
}}
Donkey hooves are more elastic than those of horses, and do not naturally wear
down as fast. Regular clipping may be required; neglect can lead to permanent
damage.<ref name=alberta/> Working donkeys may need to be shod. Donkey shoes
are similar to horseshoes, but usually smaller and without toe-clips.
*** Nutrition
In their native arid and semi-arid climates, donkeys spend more than half of
each day foraging and feeding, often on poor quality scrub.<ref name="svend2"
/> The donkey has a tough digestive system in which roughage is efficiently
broken down by hind gut fermentation, microbial action in the caecum and large
intestine.<ref name="svend2" /> While there is no marked structural difference
between the gastro-intestinal tract of a donkey and that of a horse, the
digestion of the donkey is more efficient. It needs less food than a horse or
pony of comparable height and weight,<ref name="smith2008" /> approximately
1.5 percent of body weight per day in dry matter,<ref name="Wood2005" />
compared to the 2–2.5 percent consumption rate possible for a horse.[21]
Donkeys are also less prone to colic.<ref name="svendsen" /> The reasons for
this difference are not fully understood; the donkey may have different
intestinal flora to the horse, or a longer gut retention time.<ref
name="smith" />
Donkeys obtain most of their energy from structural carbohydrates. Some
suggest that a donkey needs to be fed only straw (preferably barley straw),
supplemented with controlled grazing in the summer or hay in the winter,<ref
name=sanct/> to get all the energy, protein, fat and vitamins it requires;
others recommend some grain to be fed, particularly to working animals,<ref
name=alberta/> and others advise against feeding straw.<ref name=blm/> They do
best when allowed to consume small amounts of food over long periods. They
can meet their nutritional needs on 6 to 7 hours of grazing per day on average
dryland pasture that is not stressed by drought. If they are worked long
hours or do not have access to pasture, they require hay or a similar dried
forage, with no more than a 1:4 ratio of legumes to grass. They also require
salt and mineral supplements, and access to clean, fresh water.[22] In
temperate climates the forage available is often too abundant and too rich;
over-feeding may cause weight gain and obesity, and lead to metabolic
disorders such as founder (laminitis[23]) and hyperlipaemia,<ref name=sanct/>
or to gastric ulcers.<ref name=Burden2009/>
Throughout the world, working donkeys are associated with the very poor, with
those living at or below subsistence level.<ref name=aluja/> Few receive
adequate food, and in general donkeys throughout the Third World are
under-nourished and over-worked.<ref name=svend4/>
** Feral populations
In some areas domestic donkeys have returned to the wild and established feral
populations such as those of the burro of North America and the Asinara donkey
of Sardinia, Italy, both of which have protected status.[date=November 2019]
Feral donkeys can also cause problems, notably in environments that have
evolved free of any form of equid, such as Hawaii.<ref name=feral/> There is a
small community of feral donkeys on St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands, that
descend from the animals brought by Danish colonists for agricultural work.
While they add to the island's charm, they also cause issues such as
vegetation damage and road hazards, leading to population management
efforts.[24][25] In Australia, where there may be 5 million feral donkeys,<ref
name=roots/> they are regarded as an invasive pest and have a serious impact
on the environment. They may compete with livestock and native animals for
resources, spread weeds and diseases, foul or damage watering holes and cause
erosion.<ref name=aus/>
** Donkey hybrids
The earliest documented donkey hybrid was the kunga, which was used as a draft
animal in the Syrian and Mesopotamian kingdoms of the second half of the 3rd
millennium BCE. A cross between a captive male Syrian wild ass and a female
domesticated donkey (jenny), they represent the earliest known example of
human-directed animal hybridization. They were produced at a breeding center
at Nagar (modern Tell Brak) and were sold or given as gifts throughout the
region, where they became significant status symbols, pulling battle wagons
and the chariots of kings, and also being sacrificed to bury with high-status
people. They fell out of favor following the introduction of the domestic
horse and its donkey hybrid, the mule, into the region at the end of the 3rd
millennium BCE.[26]
A male donkey (jack) crossed with a female horse produces a mule, while a male
horse crossed with a jenny produces a hinny. Horse–donkey hybrids are almost
always sterile because of a failure of their developing gametes to complete
meiosis.[27] The lower progesterone production of the jenny may also lead to
early embryonic loss. In addition, there are reasons not directly related to
reproductive biology. Due to different mating behavior, jacks are often more
willing to cover mares than stallions are to breed jennies. Further, mares
are usually larger than jennies and thus have more room for the ensuing foal
to grow in the womb, resulting in a larger animal at birth. It is commonly
believed that mules are more easily handled and also physically stronger than
hinnies, making them more desirable for breeders to produce.[reason=to make
this statement, one needs data indicating the greater prevalence of mules]
The offspring of a zebra–donkey cross is called a zonkey, zebroid, zebrass, or
zedonk;<ref name=zorse/> _zebra mule_ is an older term, but still used in some
regions today. The foregoing terms generally refer to hybrids produced by
breeding a male zebra to a female donkey. _Zebra hinny, zebret_ and
_zebrinny_ all refer to the cross of a female zebra with a male donkey.
Zebrinnies are rarer than zedonkies because female zebras in captivity are
most valuable when used to produce full-blooded zebras.<ref name=zedonk/>
There are not enough female zebras breeding in captivity to spare them for
hybridizing; there is no such limitation on the number of female donkeys
breeding.
** See also
- Animal-borne bomb attacks
- Cultural references to donkeys
- Jennet , a type of medieval horse
** References
{{Reflist|45em|refs= <ref
name=abc>[url=http://www.abc.net.au/creaturefeatures/facts/donkeys.htm ]
[28]
<ref name=Albano>Albano Beja-Pereira, "African Origins of the Domestic Donkey
(see https://www.science.org/doi/abs/10.1126/science.1096008)
[url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121128215553/http://www.sciencemag.org/content/304/5678/1781.citation
]", in _Science_, 2004
<ref name=alberta>[url=
http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/agdex598 ]
<ref name=aluja>Aluja, Aline S. de; Francisco López; Graciela Tapia Pérez
(2004) Estimación del peso corporal en burros del Centro de México a partir de
la circunferencia torácica (see
http://albeitar.portalveterinaria.com/noticia/3456/ARTÍCULOS-OTRAS-ESPECIES-ARCHIVO/.html)
[url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181107053944/https://albeitar.portalveterinaria.com/noticia/3456/ART%C3%8DCULOS-OTRAS-ESPECIES-ARCHIVO/.html
] (Spanish-language version of A. S. de Aluja, G. Tapia Pérez, F. López
and R. A. Pearson "Live Weight Estimation of Donkeys in Central México from
Measurement of Thoracic Circumference", _Tropical Animal Health and
Production_, 37, Supplement 1: 159–171, DOI 10.1007/s11250-005-9007-0)
<ref name=anzac>Simpson and his donkey (see http://www.anzacs.net/Simpson.htm)
[url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140724021014/http://www.anzacs.net/Simpson.htm
] Retrieved January 2012.
<ref name=aus>[title=Feral horse ( _Equus caballus_ ) and feral donkey (
_Equus asinus_ ) ]
<ref name=blench2000>Blench, R. 2000. _The History and Spread of Donkeys in
Africa_. Animal Traction Network for Eastern and Southern Africa (ATNESA)
<ref name=blm>Burro care (see
http://www.blm.gov/az/st/en/prog/whb/adoption/burro_care.html)
[url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120204134637/http://www.blm.gov/az/st/en/prog/whb/adoption/burro_care.html
] U.S. Department of the Interior: Bureau of Land Management. Accessed
February 2012.
<ref name=boaz>[url=http://www.jcpa.org/jl/saa26.htm]
<ref name=Burden2009>[ last1 = Burden ]
<ref name=burro>Brookshier, Frank (1974) _The Burro_ (see
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[29]
<ref name=ypte>[url=http://www.ypte.org.uk/factsheet.php?id=72 ]
<ref name=zedonk>[url=http://www.geocities.com/zedonknzorse/allabout.html ]
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}}
** External links
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[Perissodactyla] [state=collapsed] [Working animals] [Animal domestication]
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Category:African wild ass Category:Mammals as pets Category:Mammals described
in 1758 Category:Pack animals Category:Subspecies Category:Animal taxa named
by Carl Linnaeus