Science & Technology

These floppy-eared, fun-loving mammals can be found throughout the world.

A donkey (also known as burro or ass) is an adorable and loyal mammal that lives all around the world. Donkeys are intelligent animals, and they provide many services to humans such as transportation, farm protection, herding, and pets. There are several different species of donkey, depending on what part of the world you are in. They are so cute and clever that several cartoon characters inspired by donkeys have been created over the years.

Ancestry and Evolution

Fossils from the genus Equus, which includes horses and zebras, date to nearly 4 million years ago. Several breeds of donkeys have existed over the years. There are currently at least 189 different breeds, so many that scientists and researchers have a difficult time keeping track. Due to breeding between different members of the equine family, the species and subspecies are constantly changing. More than 4.1 million donkeys are living on Earth today. They vary in size and color based on their breed and their location.

Appearance and Behavior

Because donkeys differ so much, the height and weight ranges vary. Their average weight is 441–570 pounds. They are typically between 35 and 51 inches tall, and their fur is either gray, brown, or black. Most have a dark stripe that runs down their backs and a mane that resembles that of a cow. They have large, floppy ears that they use to cool off when they get too hot.

Donkeys are known to be quite stubborn. Though like horses in many ways, donkeys are much more difficult to force into doing something they do not want to do. Once they have deemed something to be dangerous, there is little to no chance of changing their minds. Although once a relationship and trust have been established, they are very useful, hard-working, dependable, and loyal creatures.

Donkeys are extremely helpful to humans. They can be used as transportation, cargo-carriers, keepers of farms, herders, and even great pets. They have been used as helping hands for humans for thousands of years.

Diet and Habitat

Donkeys are herbivores. They love to eat grass, weeds, and vegetables. One donkey eats about 6,000 pounds of food per year. They use their large bottom lips to pull leafy greens and other foods into their mouths and grind them down with their large teeth before swallowing.

Wild donkeys are primarily found in desert-like areas like Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and the Middle East. They also live in places like Turkey, China, and in the northern areas of India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Bhutan. However, domesticated donkeys can live nearly anywhere.

Reproduction and Lifespan

Depending on the breed, a jenny (female donkey) is pregnant for 11–14 months. A jenny does not mate until about two years old, typically giving birth to one foal, though an occasional set of twins is possible. A foal weighs between 20 and 30 pounds at birth and can stand and feed from its mom within 30 minutes after delivery.

The average lifespan of a donkey is 27–40 years. Depending on the availability of food, the presence of predators, and their overall habitat, donkeys can live much longer. One domesticated donkey that lived in the United States reached the ripe age of 54.

Predators

With more than 40 million donkeys known to exist in the world, there is not a huge threat to the donkey population. However, they do face some dangers. The use of their hides for Chinese medicine is the greatest risk to their current and future population. Their hides contain ingredients that create a gelatin-like medicine called ejiao. Experts predict that the number of asses could be reduced by 50% if they continue to be killed for that purpose. Donkeys also face threats from typical wild predators such as foxes, lions, and wolves.

The Donkey Is Famous

There are several famous donkey cartoon characters. Perhaps the most famous is Eeyore, the forever sad character in the Disney cartoon Winnie the Pooh. The character Donkey from the Shrek movies is another popular donkey. The Chronicles of Narnia features the character Puzzle.

The fun-loving, energetic nature of these mammals makes them easy to love. The fact that they are useful in so many ways is just a bonus!

1. There are currently at least 189 different breeds of donkeys.
2. More than 40 million donkeys are known to exist in the world.
3. Donkeys are herbivores and eat about 6,000 pounds of grass, weeds, and vegetables per year.