Donkey
Overview
The donkey or ass, Equus africanus asinus, is a domesticated
member of the Equidae
or horse family. The wild ancestor of the donkey is the African Wild Ass
, E. africanus.
In the western United States
, a small donkey is sometimes called a burro (from the Spanish word for the animal).
A male donkey or ass is called a jack, a female a jenny
, and an offspring less than one year old a foal
(male: colt
, female: filly
).
While different species of the Equidae
family can interbreed, offspring are almost always sterile.
Domestication
Domestication or taming is the process whereby a population of animals or plants, through a process of selection, becomes accustomed to human provision and control. In the Convention on Biological Diversity a domesticated species is defined as a 'species in which the evolutionary process has been...
member of the Equidae
Equidae
Equidae 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...
or horse family. The wild ancestor of the donkey is the African Wild Ass
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...
, E. africanus.
In the western United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, a small donkey is sometimes called a burro (from the Spanish word for the animal).
A male donkey or ass is called a jack, a female a jenny
Jenny (donkey)
A jenny is the term used to describe a female ass or donkey. Occasionally, a female mule is referred to as a jenny, but more often, the term "molly," "mare" or "mule mare" is used. In western Canada, the term "jennet" is sometimes used instead of "jenny," though the term Jennet usually refers to a...
, and an offspring less than one year old a foal
Foal
A foal is an equine, particularly a horse, that is one year old or younger. More specific terms are colt for a male foal and filly for a female foal, but these terms are used until the horse is age three or four. When the foal is nursing from its dam , it may also be called a suckling...
(male: colt
Colt (horse)
A colt is a young male horse, under the age of four. The term "colt" is often confused with foal, which refers to a horse of either sex under one year of age....
, female: filly
Filly
A filly is a young female horse too young to be called a mare. There are several specific definitions in use.*In most cases filly is a female horse under the age of four years old....
).
While different species of the Equidae
Equidae
Equidae 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...
family can interbreed, offspring are almost always sterile.
