A domesticated member of the horse family, bred from the African wild ass some 5,000–7,000 years ago and used mainly as a working animal ever since. There are more than 40 million donkeys worldwide.
Quick answers
What is it?Mammal
Carnivore?No, herbivore
Dangerous?No
Domesticated?Yes
Awake when?Daytime
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?Sometimes
Mainly a working animal, though in richer countries a few are kept as pets or to guard livestock.
Do people eat it?In places
A few donkeys are raised for meat or milk; about 3.5 million donkeys and mules are slaughtered for meat each year.
At a glance
Found inWorldwide
HabitatFarmland, Desert, Scrub
ColoursGrey, Brown, Black
SizeLarge
HeightUnder 90 cm to about 150 cm at the shoulder
WeightAbout 250 kg on average
Legs4
Covered inFur
Lives inherds
Lives for30–50 years
Can swim
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Worldwide, mostly in developing countries as working animals; adapted to marginal desert land.
Did you know
Bred from the African wild ass, and used as a working animal for 5,000 years.
In prosperous countries a donkey can live 30–50 years, but working donkeys in the poorest countries often live only 12–15.
Often confused with
- Mule
A mule is a cross between a male donkey and a female horse. The rarer hinny is the reverse.
Compare side by side - Horse
A donkey has much larger ears, which help it pick up distant sounds and cool its blood.
Compare side by side
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