The Asinara donkey or Asinara ass (Italian: asino dell'Asinara), is a rare landrace of feral, and consistently albinistic, donkey indigenous to the island of Asinara, which lies off the north-west coast of Sardinia, Italy, in the province of Sassari.[1] It is one of the seven indigenous donkey "breeds of limited distribution" listed by the AIA, the Italian breeders' association,[2] though it is not a breed in the formal sense. Alternative names include white donkey or albino donkey in English (Italian: asinello bianco or asino albino), and ainu, borricu or molenti in Sardinian.[3] It is given the sub-specific name "var. albina" by some sources,[4] thus Equus africanus asinus var. albina, but this is not recognized by taxonomic authorities.
The habitat of this rare variant of E. a. asinus is restricted to the island of Asinara (declared Asinara National Park in 1997, where the total donkey population is estimated around 90 individuals), and to the natural reserve of Porto in Alghero.
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Donkeys originating in Italy |
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