Donkeys were first domesticated around 5,000 years ago as beasts of burden and companions, most likely in Egypt or Mesopotamia. There are about 41 million donkeys in the world today; China has the most with 11 million, followed by Pakistan, Ethiopia, and Mexico.
Donkeys vary considerably in size, depending on breed and management. The height at the withers ranges from 7.3 hands (31 inches or 79 cm) to 15.3 hands (63 inches or 160 cm), and they weigh from 80 to 480 kg (180 to 1,060 lb.). Working donkeys in the poorest countries have a life expectancy of 12 to 15 years; and in more prosperous countries, they may have a lifespan of 30 to 50 years.
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Breeds of Donkeys
There are the following breeds of Donkeys:
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 Abyssinian
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Abyssinian
donkeys are found throughout Ethiopia usually dry and mountainous areas. They
are typically between 8.4 and 10 hands tall and weigh between 190-450 pounds.
Their gestation period is 11-13 months and overall they typically have a
lifespan of between 30-40 years. They are most often a slate-gray color but
occasionally they are chestnut-brown. Anatolia Donkeys
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African Wild Ass |
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African wild asses or African wild donkey (Equus africanus) are
a wild member of the horse family, Equidae. African wild asses are the ancestor
of the domestic donkey.
They live in the deserts and other arid areas of the Horn of
Africa, in Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia. They formerly had a wider range north
and west into Sudan, Egypt, and Libya. Their diet consists of grasses, bark,
and leaves. Despite being primarily adapted for living in an arid climate, they
are dependent on water, and when not receiving the needed moisture from
vegetation, they must drink at least once every three days. However, they can
survive on a surprisingly small amount of liquid, and have been reported to
drink salty or brackish water.
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Albanian |
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Locally Albanian Donkeys are referred to as "gomari". They
are kept as pack animals or for farm work.
Donkeys have a long history in Albania, especially in
coastal and hilly regions, and are believed to have migrated into the country originally
from the Adriatic coast centuries ago with the development of trade connections
between Persia, Egypt, and Greece.
They evolved locally more by natural selection than focused
breeding, and they continue to be useful in rural area where the conditions are
harsh.
Their coat is grey, black, reddish, or "purple". Because of
conditions in Albania, they are small (averaging 107 cm at the withers).
In 2013 there were roughly 55,000 Albanian donkey
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Algerian |
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The Algerian Donkey, also known as the Algerian Ardi or the African Donkey, is a breed of donkey that is native to Algeria. They are a hardy breed that is well adapted to the harsh desert climate of North Africa. They are medium-sized animals, with males reaching an average height of around 12 hands (48 inches) at the shoulder and females reaching an average height of around 11 hands (44 inches). They have a short, thick coat that can be a variety of colors, including gray, black, and white. The Algerian Donkey is known for its strength and endurance and is used for a variety of purposes, including transportation, farming, and as a pack animal. They are also used for their milk, meat, and as a source of work for plowing and other farming ac
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Amiatina |
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Amiatina donkies, or Asino dell''Amiata in atalian, are from donkeys
from Tuscany in central Italy. They are particularly associated with Monte
Amiata in the provinces of Siena and Grosseto, but they are distributed
throughout Tuscany. There are also popular in Liguria and in Campania. They are one of the eight autochthonous donkey breeds of limited distribution recognized by the Ministero delle Politiche Agricole Alimentari e Forestali, the Italian ministry of agriculture and forestry.
They are grey-coated donkeys with special black and white
stripes in the limbs and a scapular cross. Thanks to their slender and nimble
shape, they could go up to steep and rough mountains. Neurotic and good-natured as well, these donkeys h
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Anatolia |
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Anatolia Donkeys are also
known as Brown Donkeys and are mainly found throughout Turkey. They are usually
black and gray.
Anatolia Donkeys date back
beyond the Ottoman Empire; they were used alongside mules and horses to
transport goods along rivers, steep slopes, and rocky terrain. Most often they
were used by peasants to transport goods before the roads and bridges were
built. Today they are still extensively used in the East Anatolia Region and Northeastern part of Black Sea Coast in
the more mountainous areas where the donkey’s surefootedness is
essential.
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Andalusian |
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The Andalusian, or
Andaluz, donkey was used by the Spanish Military for stud and kept their
bloodlines relatively pure over the years. Since the end of Franco’s reign, the
need for a quality donkey has declined and their numbers followed. This species
is endangered and threatened with extinction.
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Asinara |
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Asinara Donkeys
are from the isle of Asinara, Italy, where a colony of around a hundred still
live in the wild. They are small donkeys with a white coat, probably because of
an incomplete albinism.
The Asinara
donkey’s ancestors may have been
imported originally from Egypt by the Duke of Asinara in 1800. Evedently by the
end of the 19th century some white-coated donkeys lived on the island, probably
they were abandoned by the inhabitants that had moved to Stintino in 1885 when
the island had become State Property.
Some other
evidences refer that in more recent times there have appeared a few white
coated examples. The breed is rustic and frugal.
Content and Photo source: Agraria.org.
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Australian Teamster |
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Australian ‘Teamster’ Donkeys
evolved from Donkeys were mainly introduced into Australia in the nineteenth
century, especially for use in the hot, dry, harsh interior of the continent.
Donkeys in Australia had a mixture of blood from British as well as Nubian and
Arabian strains, all of which were imported into the country in the early
period of European settlement.
With the increasing use of
mechanized transport, donkeys largely outlived their usefulness, and many were
released, forming feral herds in outback areas.
When there was an upsurge in
interest in donkeys in New Zealand around in the 1980’s, a number of these
Australian feral animals were imported into this New Zealand, where they are
generally just
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Balearic |
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The Balearic Donkey, also known as the Mallorquina, is a breed of donkey that is native to the Balearic Islands of Spain, which include Mallorca, Menorca, and Ibiza. They are a small to medium-sized breed, with males averaging around 11 hands (44 inches) at the shoulder and females averaging around 10 hands (40 inches) at the shoulder. They have a short, thick coat that can be a variety of colors, including gray, black, and brown. They are known for their strength and endurance, and are used for a variety of purposes, including transportation, farming, and as pack animals. They are also used for their milk and meat. The Balearic Donkey is considered to be a rare breed and conservation efforts are underway to protect the breed.
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Balkan |
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The Balkan donkey or mountain donkey ( Domaci balkanski magarac in Serbian), is a breed or group of breeds of domestic donkeys originating in the Balkan region. They are reported from Serbia and Montenegro.
A herd of about 120 Balkan donkeys in the Zasavica Reserve, Sremska Mitrovica, Serbia, are used to make the world''s most expensive cheese, pule cheese.
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Barockesel/Austrian-Hungarian White |
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Barockesel is a German word which means Baroque donkey in English. It is a breed of donkey that was developed in the Bavarian region of Germany. The breed is known for its small size and elegant appearance, with a refined head, long ears and a long, flowing mane and tail. They are typically between 8 and 10 hands (32-40 inches) high at the shoulder and come in a variety of colors, including gray, black, and brown. They are used mainly for riding and driving purposes, also for show and leisure activities. They are considered a rare breed and are protected by the German Donkey Breeders Association. They are known for their gentle and docile nature and are well suited for children and beginners.
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Benderi |
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Berry Grey (Âne Petit Gris du Berry) |
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Biyang |
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Black |
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Bourbonnais Donkey (Âne du Bourbonnais) |
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Bourik |
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Brasil |
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Bulgaro |
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Burro |
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Burro Criollo |
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Burro Kentucky |
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Dagestanskaya |
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Damascus |
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Dezhou |
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Dongolawl |
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Dwarf donkey of Graciosa (Burro de Graciosa) |
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Egypt Baladi |
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Encartaciones |
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English / Irish |
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Historically, the donkey was
never used extensively in Britain – except in Ireland, where it became the
principal draught animal for cottagers and smallholders throughout the country.
Eggs and butter, which were the
chief produce of the widespread small farms, were brought to market weekly by a
patient donkey harnessed to a small cart, usually driven by the farmer''s wife.
While some breeders refer to
their donkeys as “Irish” and others as “English”, they are essentially the same
breed and are grouped as English/Irish by the Donkey Society of New Zealand.
Since the early 1990’s, a
number of these small donkeys have been imported into New Zealand, and they are
now firmly established and are being bred
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Etbai |
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Ezel |
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| There are no Donkey breeds that start with the letter F. |
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Georgian |
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Green |
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Grey |
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Guangling |
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Guanzhong |
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Hamadan |
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Hassawi |
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Hinnies |
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A hinnie or hinny is a domestic hybrid
produced by a horse stallion (father) and a jenny
donkey (mother). It is the opposite cross to the common mule, which is the product of a jack donkey (father)and a horse mare (mother).
There are both male and female hinnies. A male hinny is
properly called ahorse
hinny, and a female hinny is properly called amare
hinny. In England, a hinny is commonly called ajennet.
Hinnies in general are slightly smaller on average than
mules. It is believed that as donkeys are generally smaller than horses, the growth
potential of horse offspring is influenced by the size of the womb of the
mother.
There is much debate over whether this is the only
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Huaibei |
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Indian |
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Iranian |
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Istarski Magarac |
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Italian |
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Kakhetinskaya |
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Kara-Kalpakskaya |
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Karakacan |
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Kashan |
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Kassala |
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Kazakhskaya |
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Kirgizskaya |
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Kulun |
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Large Standard |
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Liangzhou |
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Libyan |
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Linxian |
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Magyar Parlagi Szamár |
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Majorera |
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Maltese |
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Mammoth Jack Stock |
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American Mammoth Jack
Donkeys, or Asno Americana, are descended from multiple breeds of donkeys
imported to the United States including Maltese, Poitou, Andalusian, Majorcan,
and Catalonian donkeys.
The males are typically 14 hands tall and the females are
about 13 hands. Mammoth Jacks have a draft horse-like build. They are a tall,
sturdy, and reliable animal, and compared frequently to work horses.
Mammoth Jacks can be found in black, chestnut, spotted, dun, white, dapple
gray, bay or palomino; however, chestnut is their most common color.
They were used in America for farm work in the early 1900’s. One of the most
well-known Mammouth Jacks in the 20th century was Jen-J
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Mannar |
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Martina Franca |
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Martina Franca
Donkeys are large size donkeys (135-160cm high at the withers) are from Apulia,
Italy. Most likely they were developed by crossbreeding local dark-coated
donkeys with donkeys from Catalogna imported into the area at the beginning of
the 16 century.
They have a quite
lively temperament. They are well-adapted to difficult and rocky ground and are
used as beasts of burden.
Content and Photo source: Agraria.org.
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Mary |
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Mary donkeys are large donkeys from the Ashkhaad and Mary
regions of Turkmenia. There are both a large and small version of the Mary
donkey. Large versions of the male Mary donkey are typically 119-120cm, and
females are 116-118cm. Fully grown Mary donkeys often weigh around 650 pounds
and can carry 150-275 pounds.
Mary Donkeys are closely related to the Iranian Hamadan
donkeys whose descendants can also be found in Azerbaijan.
They are no longer widely used as pack animals, plus
expeditions and mountain rescue parties require only a small number of animals,
as a result today their numbers.
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Maryisltaya |
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Masai |
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Masri |
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Merzifon |
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Meskhet-Dzhavakhetskaya |
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Miniature |
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Miniature donkeys are smaller than the standard donkey and
are thought to have originated in Sardinjan, the second largest island in the
Mediterranean Sea. While not considered miniature by their country of origin,
these donkeys were quite smaller than typical donkey. Miniature donkeys stand
between 36 – 40 inches tall when full grown. In the early 1900’s seven
miniature donkey s were brought to the United States by Robert Green. The first
miniature donkey was born that same year and these animals were soon known as
Miniature Donkeys or Miniature Mediterranean Donkeys.Green is known for saying that “Miniature
donkeys possess the affectionate nature of a Newfoundland, the resignation of a
cow, the durability of a mule, the courage o
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Miranda donkey (Burro do Miranda) |
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Moldavian Local |
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Moroccan |
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Mules |
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A mule is the offspring of a male donkey (Jack) and arnfemale horse (Mare). Mules can be lightweight, medium weight, or when producedrnfrom draft horse mares, of moderately heavy weight. Mules are more patient, hardy and long-lived than horses, and are less obstinate and more intelligent thanrndonkeys.
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Muscat |
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National Genatic |
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Nordestina |
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Norman donkey (Âne Normand) |
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Ogaden |
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Pantelleria |
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Pantelleria
Donkeys are an ancient breed from Pantelleria island, Italy, where they were
common until a few decades ago.
Pantelleria
Donkeys are very strong, in the past the were used to carry extremely heavy
loads around the paths of the island. They represented an important resource
for the island and Trapani province. The hybrids (mules) were highly
appreciated abroad, as well. Also at some time in the past speed races were
organized on track and Pantelleria Donkeys was preferred to horses, as they
were more suitable to be ridden on any kind of ground. Unfortunately they are
now almost totally extinct.
They are very
robust animals, with a fast and sure walk when descending rocky paths mainly,
thanks to th
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Pantesco |
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Parlag |
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The Parlag is a Hungarian donkey that came to them via the
Celts and Romans had a hand in shaping their lines. Like most of their brothers
the lack of need was a determining factor in the decline of their numbers.
Today their lines are kept alive by hobby breeders in central Hungary.
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Paulista |
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Pega |
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Peruano |
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Poitou |
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Poitou Donkeys
originates from the Poitou region
of France, and they are most likely related to the Poitevin horses. It is
thought that they were introduced in France by the Romans and may have been a wealth
status symbol for French Nobility. They were also regarded as the finest and
strongest donkeys in France, since they were as tall as large mules with legs
and joints as large as most carriage horses.
Poitou donkeys are dark brown or black. They also have a
white underbelly, nose, and rings around their eyes. They are well known for their
distinctive coat that hangs in long cords. Their shaggy coat is called acadanette, and is actually long soft hair that tangles and
mats easily. Breeders originally
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Ponui |
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Ponui donkeys are New Zealand''s only feral donkey breed. The
feral herd is established on Ponui Island in the Hauraki Gulf, east of
Auckland. They are descendants of three animals imported from Australia in the
1880s by the Chamberlin family, who obtained title to the island in 1854.
Ponui donkeys are mostly light grey in color, with a darker
dorsal stripe, and stand about ten hands (one meter) high.
In recent years a number have been brought to the mainland
and rare breeds enthusiasts are currently trying to build up a viable,
genetically pure population of these sturdily built and docile donkeys.
Content and Photo Source: New Zealand Rare Breeds (http://www.rarebreeds.co.nz/).
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Primorsko Dinarski Magarac |
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Provence (Âne de Provence) |
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Puttalam Buruwa |
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Pyrenean (Âne des Pyrénées) |
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Qinghai |
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Qinqyang |
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Qirmani |
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Qubressy |
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Ragusano |
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Ragusano Donkeys
originated in the area of Ragusa, Modica, Scicli S.Croce Camerina in Sicily.
They are a new breed, officially recognized in 1953, when during selection
studies the Horse Increase Institute of Catania (they keep the registry office)
was able to fix a few characteristics. All the donkeys living in Sicily are to
be traced back to the Pantelleria breed, especially those in the province of
Trapani and to the usually called Sicilian breed, , present all over the
island. The crossbreeding of the two above and with the Martina Franca breed,
with blood mixing of Catalano donkey, after various crossings, produced some
very good examples.
They are used as
beasts of burden, draught, and mule producing. It’s mules w
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Riffawi |
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Romainian |
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Saidi |
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Sardinian |
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Sardinian Donkeys are, unsurprisingly, from Sardinia, Italy.
They have been on the island for a very long time. They are lively and rustic
and are used as beasts of burden and farm labor. They are highly appreciated in
Italy and abroad. They a have a lively temperament and no special needs.
Content and Photo source: Agraria.org.
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Sarvar |
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Sennar |
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Shanbei |
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Sibbianl |
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Sicilian Grey |
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Sicilian grey
Donkeys, or the ‘Grey from Sicily’ are also commonly known as ‘Ferrante’.
They are a very
ancient breed. We have some news in Chicoli (1870) about two donkey breeds in
Sicily: an ordinary working breed (Sicilian) of small size with an uneven coat
and the lower parts of the body constantly white and the breed of Pantelleria,
a saddle breed from upper-class stables. Later about the Sicilian donkey
Mascheroni (1927) considers two subbreeds, the one from the eastern provinces
(similar to the Apulian donkey – Martina Franca) and the other from the western
provinces (similar to the Pantesco donkey), which is described with a totally
grey coat, of small size, with proportions that are not as elegant or perfect
as those o
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Sjeverno Jadranski Magarac |
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Somali |
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South-West Chinese |
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Sperki |
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Spotted |
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Standard |
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It
is believed that the first donkeys came to North America with Christopher
Columbus in 1495. Donkeys were highly valued as sires for mules. Jacks, or the
males were primarily used as pack animals and the Jennies were used for riding.
Donkeys
were also used in Mexico after the conquest of the Aztecs in 1521. Mules were
used in silver mines and for breeding mules.
Donkeys
were used largely in the western United States during the nineteenth century
during the gold rush as pack animals and for use in mines and ore-grinding mills; however, the
introduction of railroads in the West ended the popular use of donkeys in the
United States. Many donkeys were turned loose and became free roaming burros.
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Subei |
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Sudanese Pack |
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Syrian |
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Syrian Wild Ass |
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Tadzhikskaya |
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Taihang |
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Tibetan |
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Toposa |
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Tswana |
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Tunisian |
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Turkmenskaya |
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Uzbekskaya |
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Viterbese (Grigio Viterbese) |
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| There are no Donkey breeds that start with the letter W. |
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Xinjiang |
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Zamorano-Leones |
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Another
Spanish donkey, the Zamorano-Leones donkey was bred to be robust for traveling
and trade & later used to create large work mules. Their range has dwindled
due to lack of necessity and they can now be found only in the Zamora and Leon
provinces.
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Donkey Breeds
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