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The subgenus Asinus encompasses four species and several subspecies of
equidaeEquidae is the taxonomic family of horses and related animals, including the extant horses, donkeys, and zebras, and many other species known only from fossils. All extant species are in the genus Equus...
characterized by long ears, a lean, straight-backed build, a scant tail and reputed to have considerable toughness and endurance.
The common
DonkeyThe donkey or ass, Equus africanus asinus, is a domesticated member of the Equidae or horse family, and an odd-toed ungulate. The wild ancestor of the donkey is the African Wild Ass, E. africanus. Traditionally, the scientific name for the donkey is Equus asinus asinus based on the principle of...
or "Ass" is the best-known representative of the Subgenus, with both
domesticatedDomestication or taming is the process whereby a population of animals or plants, through a process of selection, becomes accustomed to human provision and control. A defining characteristic of domestication is artificial selection by humans...
and
feralA feral organism is one that has escaped from domestication and returned, partly or wholly, to a wild state. The introduction of feral animals or plants to their non-native regions, like any introduced species, can disrupt ecosystems and may, in some cases, contribute to extinction of indigenous...
varieties, ranging in size from the small burro
to the horseThe horse is a hoofed mammal, a subspecies of one of seven extant species of the family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
-sized "Mammoth Jack" and other breedA breed is a group of domestic animals with a homogeneous appearance, behavior, and other characteristics that distinguish it from other animals of the same species. When bred together, animals of the same breed pass on these uniform traits to their offspring, and this ability—known as "breeding...
s. There is not a formal cutoff between the terminology "donkey" and "ass," though smaller animals are usually called donkeys and larger animals are asses. Both can be used to create a muleA mule is the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse. Horses and donkeys are different species, with different numbers of chromosomes. Of the two F1 hybrids between these two species, a mule is easier to obtain than a hinny...
, which is a hybrid animal produced by a cross of a male donkey and a female horse.
Wild asses
, include a number of truly wild, never domesticated subspecies of Equus Asinus
that live in AsiaAsia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.6% of the earth's total surface area and with approximately 4 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population.Asia is traditionally defined as part of the...
and AfricaAfrica is the world's second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area. With a billion people in 61 territories, it accounts for about 14.8% of the...
.
Taxonomy
Equus
- Subgenus Asinus
- African Wild Ass
The African Wild Ass is a wild member of the horse family, Equidae. This species is believed to be the ancestor of the domestic donkey which is usually placed within the same species. They live in the deserts and other arid areas of northeastern Africa, in Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia; it...
,
Equus africanus
- Nubian Wild Ass
The Nubian Wild Ass is a subspecies of the African Wild Ass and probably the ancestor of domestic donkeys, since both have a stripe across the shoulder. The ass was domesticated about 6,000 years ago, probably in Egypt or Mesopotamia.
The Nubian Wild Ass is most likely extinct in the wild...
,
Equus africanus africanus
- Somali Wild Ass
The Somali Wild Ass is a subspecies of the African Wild Ass. It was found in the Southern Red Sea region of Eritrea, the Afar Region of Ethiopia, and Somalia. The legs of the Somali wild Ass are horizontally striped with black, resembling those of a zebra.-Captivity:Around the world about 150...
, Equus africanus somalicus
- Donkey
The donkey or ass, Equus africanus asinus, is a domesticated member of the Equidae or horse family, and an odd-toed ungulate. The wild ancestor of the donkey is the African Wild Ass, E. africanus. Traditionally, the scientific name for the donkey is Equus asinus asinus based on the principle of...
, Equus africanus asinus
- Atlas Wild Ass
The Atlas Wild Ass , also known as Algerian Wild Ass is an extinct animal. It was last shown in a villa mural in AD 300 in Bona, Algeria, and went extinct after Roman sport hunting.-External links:*...
, †Equus africanus atlanticus (extinctIn biology and ecology, extinction is the end of an organism or group of taxa. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of that species...
)
European AssThe European Ass is an extinct equine from the middle and late Pleistocene of Eurasia. It appeared first in the fossil report 300.000 years before present and disappeared not until Holocene times...
, †Equus hydruntinus (extinctIn biology and ecology, extinction is the end of an organism or group of taxa. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of that species...
)
OnagerThe Onager is a large mammal belonging to the genus Equus of the family Equidae and native to the deserts of Syria, Iran, Pakistan, India, Israel, and Tibet...
or Asiatic Ass, Equus hemionus, Equus hemionus onager
- Mongolian Wild Ass
The Mongolian Wild Ass is a subspecies of the Onager. It may be synonymous with the Gobi Kulan or Dziggetai...
,
Equus hemionus hemionus
Syrian Wild AssThe Syrian Wild Ass was a wild ass found in the mountains and desert/steppe of Syria. The last one died at Schönbrunn Zoo, 1928. It is officially declared extinct.-References:*Syrian Wild Ass...
, †Equus hemionus hemippus (extinctIn biology and ecology, extinction is the end of an organism or group of taxa. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of that species...
)
Gobi Kulan or Dziggetai , Equus hemionus luteus
Turkmenian Kulan, Equus hemionus kulan
Indian Wild AssThe Indian wild ass also called khur, is a subspecies of the Onager native to Southern Asia.-Description:The Indian wild ass, as with most other Asian wild ass subspecies, is quite different from the African species. The coat is usually sandy, but varies from reddish grey, fawn, to pale chestnut...
or Khur, Equus hemionus khur
KiangThe kiang is the largest of the wild asses. This equine is native to the Tibetan Plateau, where it inhabits montane and alpine grasslands from 4000 to 7000 meters elevation...
, Equus kiang
- Western Kiang
Western Kiang, Equus kiang kiang, is a subspecies of the kiang. It is the first subspecies to be described....
,
Equus kiang kiang
Eastern KiangEastern Kiang, Equus kiang holdereri, is a subspecies of kiang.The eastern kiang is the largest subspecies of the kiang....
, Equus kiang holdereri
Southern KiangSouthern Kiang, Equus kiang polyodon, is the smallest subspecies of kiang....
, Equus kiang polyodon
Northern KiangNorthern Kiang, Equus kiang chu, is a subspecies of the kiang. The Northern Kiang has a distinct "mating call". The Northern Kiang usually has a black stripe around the back of its head, which also separates it from the other subspecies of the kiang. Unlike the Southern Western and Eastern kiangs,...
, Equus kiang chu
†Equus cumminsii Cummin’s Ass
†Equus calobatus Stilt-legged Onager
†Equus tau Pygmy Onager
†Equus lambei Yukon Wild Ass