MINIATURE DONKEY

Equus asinus

STATUS: 

Not threatened.  The number of donkeys in the world continues to grow, as it has steadily throughout most of history.

DESCRIPTION: 

The mane and tail in the donkey are coarse. The mane is still and upright, rarely laying over, and the tail is more like a cow's, covered with short body hair for most of the length, and ending in a tasseled switch.  The vast majority of donkeys are used for the same types of work that they have been doing for 6000 years. Their most common role is for transport, whether riding, pack transport, or pulling carts. They may also be used for farm tillage, threshing, raising water, milling, and other jobs. Other donkeys are used to sire mules, as companions for horses, to guard sheep, and as pets. A few are milked or raised for meat.  Although many donkeys are the familiar grey-dun (mouse grey) colour there are many other coat shades – there are spotted donkeys, black, white, every shade of grey and brown and albino-white. They can also be of a pink colour (light red mixed with grey-dun), more technically known as ‘strawberry roan’.

SIZE: 

Donkeys range considerably in size, depending on breed and management. Most domestic donkeys range from 0.9 to over 1.4 m tall.  Standing only 32-40 inches, many families recognized the potential of miniature donkeys as pets and companions for their children.

POPULATION:

Asses were first domesticated around 4000 BCE, approximately the same time as the horse, and have spread around the world.  There are about 44 million donkeys today. China has the most with 11 million, followed by Ethiopia and Mexico.

LIFESPAN: 

Donkeys often live for twenty-five years or more. Some have been recorded as living to the ripe old age of sixty, although a forty-year-old donkey is considered to be elderly.

RANGE: 

Miniature donkeys (36 inches and under) are native to the Mediterranean Islands of Sicily and Sardinia. They have been extensively bred in the United States and are almost extinct in the land of their origin. The breed is called the Miniature Mediterranean Donkey.

HABITAT: 

Donkeys are adapted to marginal desert lands.

FOOD: 

Donkeys can survive on good quality hay alone. A good hay to feed donkeys is pure grass hay. A little bit of alfalfa mixed in would be ok. Pure alfalfa is too rich a feed for Miniature Donkeys and does not set well with their digestive systems.

BEHAVIOR: 

Donkeys are slower and less powerful than horses but they are extremely intelligent animals. They have a strong sense of survival and if they deem something as dangerous they simply won’t do it, hence they would not make steeplechasers or three-day eventers! They are particularly patient and persistent animals and as a result make excellent pack animals. Horses are flight animals, i.e. in times of panic or danger they will run away, donkeys, however, will simply freeze when frightened. Donkeys evolved in rugged desert terrain and fleeing in times of danger simply wasn’t possible.   Donkeys are very affectionate animals and enjoy the companionship of people. Donkeys need companions or they will become very depressed.

OFFSPRING: 

Jennies are pregnant for one full year and usually give birth one foal. Twins are very rare.

THREATS: