Ass

Ass, mammal also known as a donkey. The domestic ass was probably derived from the African wild ass.

Smaller than the horse, the domestic donkey and African wild ass stand about 1.25 m (4 ft) high at the shoulder. They have very long ears, a grey coat with white underparts and muzzle, a short, erect mane, and a tail with a tuft of long hair at the tip.

The ass was domesticated by the ancient Egyptians in about 4000 bc; it is more sure-footed than the horse, which makes it safer on mountain trails. It also lives longer than the horse—generally from 25 to 50 years. The African wild ass can run at speeds of up to 50 km/h (30 mph).

The Asian wild ass, which lives in the desert regions of central Asia, is somewhat larger than the African species and has much smaller ears. The Asian wild ass is usually reddish-brown in colour, but may also be yellowish or grey. It can reach a speed of up to 70 km/h (43 mph), and is capable of maintaining a pace of about 24 km/h (15 mph) for as long as two hours.

The kiang, the largest of the wild asses of Asia, lives on the high plateaux of Tibet. The only other Asian species is the onager, known also as the Persian wild ass, a smaller, fleet animal with a rich yellow-brown coat. It ranges over the desert from Iran eastwards to India.

The wild ass is hunted for its flesh, considered superior to venison, and for its skin, which is used to make a leather called shagreen. Less than 3,000 individuals remain in Africa, but in central Asia some wild herds number as many as a thousand individuals. The mating period is during the rainy season, and the female, called a jennet or jenny, bears a single foal a year or more later. The male ass is called a jack or jackass.

The donkey has been used as a beast of burden and for the breeding of mules, which are hybrids produced by mating mares and jackasses.

Scientific classification: Asses belong to the family Equidae. The African wild ass is classified as Equus asinus, the Asian wild ass as Equus hemionus, the kiang as Equus kiang, and the onager as Equus onager.