African Wild Ass (Equus asinus)

The African Wild Ass

The African Wild Ass (Equus asinus) is the direct ancestor of our domestic donkey and is the rarest mammal on the planet. Currently listed as critically endangered, and African Wild Ass is in danger of being completely domesticated, and populations of wild ass are dwindling.

The African Wild Ass is currently limited to the coast of the Red Sea, in countries such as Ethiopia, Somalia, and Sudan. They are found most often in hilly and rocky areas in the desert and more temperate grasslands. During the heat of the day, the African Wild Ass will rest in the shade in the hills and only come out to be most active when it is cooler, most often in the evening, at night, and at dawn.

At a shoulder height of 4.1 feet (1.25 meters), the African Wild Ass can weigh up to 605 pounds (275 kg). The ass is covered with a short coat of fur, ranging in color from gray to light brown with a white muzzle and underbelly. The legs are also white and end in a small hoof, only about the same width as the leg. There is a black stripe along the back of the ass, and the mane is short and black tipped. The ears are long and also tipped with black, and the tail has a single tuft of hair at the end.

The African Wild Ass eats plant material, often eating thorn bushes and tougher plants that other animals ignore. They need to have water at least every three days, but they are able to survive on water that is dirty and brackish and can get a lot of their moisture from the plant material that they eat.

Sexual maturity of the female ass usually happens by the time she reaches two. Males can also reproduce at two, but it is so competitive that they usually are forced to wait until they are around four. Males are very territorial and will often hold a huge territory that is about 23 km, and they mark the edges of their territories with dung. Other males are allowed in, but they are kept away from the females as much as possible. Male donkeys will bray when the females are in season, and a dominant male of a territory has first right to breed with any female that comes around. The gestational period usually lasts 11-12 months, and the females in the wild usually give birth only once every two years. The young are weaned at about six months of age, and the animals can live approximately 40 years.

Further Information on the African Wild Ass:

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Bibliography:
Ass Encarta Encyclopedia, © 2000.
Brent Huffman. African Wild Ass, © 2004. Accessed on 08/05/04 at http://www.ultimateungulate.com/Perissodactyla/Equus_asinus.html
Paul Massicot. Animal Info - African Wild Ass, © 2004. Accessed on 08/05/04 at http://www.animalinfo.org/species/artiperi/equuafri.htm
The Wild Ones. African Wild Ass, © 2000. Accessed on 08/05/04 at http://www.thewildones.org/Animals/wildass.html