Equus Research Paper

The African Wild Ass or African Wild Donkey (Equus Africanus) the scientific name. Is a critically endangered species of wild donkey. Related to horses, zebras and other species of donkeys, it is one of a couple of species of the Equus breed to be rare or close to extinct. And is believed to be the long lost ancestor of the donkey that we know today. The African Wild Ass is known to live in the deserts and other arid regions of Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia and the Horn of Africa. It formerly had a wider region North and West to Sudan, Egypt and Libya. The population of the beautiful creatures has plummeted within the past few years, but they are making a comeback. These animals were hunted to extinction almost by the native people who lived in the regions that they thrived long ago. Currently around 570 individual donkeys remain in the wild today. …show more content…
This small framed animal is around 510 pounds and a max of 610 pounds. The short, smooth coat is a light grey to fawn color, fading quickly to white on the undersides and legs. There is a slender, dark dorsal stripe in all subspecies, while in the Nubian Wild Ass (E. a. africanus), as well as the domestic donkey, there is a stripe across the shoulder. The legs of the African Wild Ass are horizontally striped with black, like those of there close cousin the zebra. On the neck of the donkey there is a still upright mane with the hairs taped with black. The ears of this well designed animal are large with black margins. The tail terminates with black brush, and the hooves are slender and about the diameter as the