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Equus asinus

Linnaeus, 1758

Ass

GNANot Applicable Found in 25 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
GNANot ApplicableGlobal Rank
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.105962
Element CodeAMATA01020
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassMammalia
OrderPerissodactyla
FamilyEquidae
GenusEquus
Other Common Names
Âne commun (FR) Burro, Asno (ES) donkey (EN) Feral Ass (EN)
Concept Reference
Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder (editors). 1993. Mammal species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference. Second edition. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC. xviii + 1206 pp. Available online at: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/msw/.
Taxonomic Comments
This is the domestic form of Equus africanus. See Grubb (in Wilson and Reeder 2005) for a discussion of nomenclature (e.g., E. asinus versus E. africanus).
Conservation Status
Review Date2003-09-04
Change Date2003-09-04
Range Extent Comments
Native to northeastern Africa. Domesticated worldwide. Introduced and feral in the western U.S.: mainly Arizona, California, and Nevada (Slade and Godfrey 1982). Also feral on island of Hawaii (Tomich 1986) (since mid-1950s), on St. John (Virgin Islands) (Turner 1984), and elsewhere in Africa, Asia, and Australia.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Survives in harsh environments (e.g., Death Valley). On St. John, Virgin Islands: dry cactus/woodland, beaches, grassy flats (Turner 1984). In Arizona, remained close to permanent water in warmer months (Seegmiller and Ohmart 1981).

Ecology

Males may maintain small territory during breeding season. Older males tend to be solitary when not with estrous females. Females usually alone with foal or with other females and foals. Home range over 1-2 years: 4-97 sq km.

Reproduction

In southern California, about 2/3 of reproductive age (1.5+ years) females, 1/4 of yearling females, and 60% of lactating females were pregnant.
Terrestrial Habitats
Woodland - HardwoodWoodland - ConiferShrubland/chaparralGrassland/herbaceousDesert
Other Nations (1)
United StatesNNA
ProvinceRankNative
New MexicoSNANo
OregonSNANo
ArizonaSNANo
UtahSNANo
HawaiiSNANo
TexasSNANo
Navajo NationSNANo
NevadaSNANo
Roadless Areas (25)
Arizona (1)
AreaForestAcres
HellsgateTonto National Forest6,171
California (7)
AreaForestAcres
Granite PeakSan Bernardino National Forest450
Jennie LakeSequoia National Forest2,388
Nevahbe RidgeInyo National Forest302
PaiuteInyo National Forest58,712
SugarloafSan Bernardino National Forest8,206
Timbered CraterLassen National Forest4,096
TinemahaInyo National Forest27,060
Nevada (13)
AreaForestAcres
Angel Peak NorthHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest12,577
Angel Peak SouthHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest6,540
Bald Mtn.Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest41,598
Charleston - Macks CynHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest11,378
Fish Lake CHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest5,538
Iron SpringHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest36,737
NorthumberlandHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest22,464
Stirling - JohnnieHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest1,449
Stirling - WheelerHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest3,044
Table Mtn. - EastHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest87,789
Toquima CaveHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest43,147
White Rock MtnHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest24,917
WildcatHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest28,565
New Mexico (3)
AreaForestAcres
Bull CanyonCarson National Forest11,512
Carrizo MountainLincoln National Forest17,280
LemitasSanta Fe National Forest8,129
Utah (1)
AreaForestAcres
Muddy Creek - Nelson Mt.Manti-Lasal National Forest59,034
References (24)
  1. American Society of Mammalogists (ASM). 2025. Mammal Diversity Database (Version 1.13) [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10595931. Online. Available: https://www.mammaldiversity.org/
  2. Boyles, J. S. 1986. Managing America's wild horses and burros. J. Equine Vet. Sci. 6:261-265.
  3. Bradley, R.D., L.K. Ammerman, R.J. Baker, L.C. Bradley, J.A. Cook. R.C. Dowler, C. Jones, D.J. Schmidly, F.B. Stangl Jr., R.A. Van den Bussche and B. Würsig. 2014. Revised checklist of North American mammals north of Mexico, 2014. Museum of Texas Tech University Occasional Papers 327:1-28. Available at: http://www.nsrl.ttu.edu/publications/opapers/ops/OP327.pdf
  4. Gentry, A., J. Clutton-Brock, and C. P. Groves. 2004. The naming of wild animal species and their domestic derivatives. Journal of Archaeological Science 31(5):645-651.
  5. Ingles, L. G. 1965. Mammals of the Pacific States. Stanford University Press, Stanford, California.
  6. Jenkins, S. H. 1989. Comments on an inappropriate population model for feral burros. J. Mamm. 70:667-670.
  7. Johnson, R. A., S. W. Carothers, and T. J. McGill. 1987. Demography of feral burros in the Mohave Desert. J. Wildl. Manage. 51:916-920.
  8. Jones, J. K., Jr., R. S. Hoffman, D. W. Rice, C. Jones, R. J. Baker, and M. D. Engstrom. 1992a. Revised checklist of North American mammals north of Mexico, 1991. Occasional Papers, The Museum, Texas Tech University, 146:1-23.
  9. Kramer, R. J. 1971. Hawaiian land mammals. Charles E. Tuttle Co., Inc., Rutland, Vermont, and Tokyo, Japan. 347 pp.
  10. Lever, C. 1985. Naturalized mammals of the world. Longman Group Limited, England.
  11. McCort, W. D. 1980. The behavior and social organization of feral asses (<i>Equus asinus</i>) on Ossabaw Island, Georgia. Diss. Abstr. Int., B Sci. Eng. 41(1):56-B.
  12. McKnight, T. L. 1958. The feral burro in the United States: distribution and problems. J. Wildl. Manage. 22: 163-179.
  13. Moehlman, P. D. 1972. Getting to know the wild burrows of Death Valley. National Geographic 141(5):502-517.
  14. Perryman, P., and A. Muchlinski. 1987. Population dynamicsof feral burros at the Naval Weapons Center, China Lake, California. J. Mamm. 68:435-438.
  15. Seegmiller, R. F., and R. D. Ohmart. 1981. Ecological relationships of feral burros and desert bighorn sheep. Wildlife Monographs No. 78:1-58.
  16. Slade, L. M., and E. B. Godfrey. 1982. Wild horses. Pages 1089-1098 in Chapman, J. A., and G. A. Feldhamer, eds. Wild mammals of North America. Johns Hopkins Univ. Press, Baltimore.
  17. Tirira, D. 1999. Mamíferos del Ecuador. Museo de Zoología, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito.
  18. Tomich, P. Q. 1986. Mammals in Hawai'i. A synopsis and notational bibliography. Second edition. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 375 pp.
  19. Turner, M. G. 1984. Habitat utilization by burros in Virgin Islands National Park. J. Wildl. Manage. 48:1461- 1464.
  20. Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder (editors). 1993. Mammal species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference. Second edition. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC. xviii + 1206 pp. Available online at: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/msw/.
  21. Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder (editors). 2005. Mammal species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference. Third edition. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. Two volumes. 2,142 pp. [As modified by ASM the Mammal Diversity Database (MDD) at https://www.mammaldiversity.org/index.html]
  22. Woodward, S. L. 1979. The social system of feral asses (<i>Equus asinus</i>). Z. Tierpsychol. 49:304-316.
  23. Woodward, S. L., and D. P. Sponenberg. 1992. Feral livestock in America: identification of populations important for the conservation of genetic diversity. Abstract, 6th Annual Meeting of the Society for Conservation Biology, p. 148.
  24. Zeiner, D. C., W. F. Laudenslayer, Jr., K. E. Mayer, and M. White, editors. 1990b. California's wildlife. Volume III. Mammals. State of California, The Resources Agency, Department of Fish and Game, Sacramento, CA. 407 pp.