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{{Taxobox
| name = Donkey
| status = DOM
| image = Donkey 1 arp 750px.jpg
| image_width = 250px
| regnum = [[Animal]]ia
| phylum = [[Chordate|Chordata]]
| classis = [[Mammal]]ia
| ordo = [[Perissodactyla]]
| familia = [[Equidae]]
| genus = ''[[Equus (genus)|Equus]]''
| subgenus = ''[[Asinus]]''
| species = ''[[African Wild Ass|E. africanus]]''
| subspecies = ''E. africanus asinus''
| trinomial = ''Equus africanus asinus''
| trinomial_authority = [[Carolus Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], 1758
}}
The '''donkey''' or '''ass''', ''Equus africanus asinus'',<ref>{{cite book|title=Mammal Species of the World. A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference |editor=Don E. Wilson & DeeAnn M. Reeder|publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press|date=2005|edition=3rd|chapter=Equus asinus|url=http://www.bucknell.edu/msw3/browse.asp?s=y&id=14100004}}</ref><ref name=Opinion2007>{{cite journal|last=International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature|date=2003|title=Usage of 17 specific names based on wild species which are pre-dated by or contemporary with those based on domestic animals (Lepidoptera, Osteichthyes, Mammalia): conserved. Opinion 2027 (Case 3010).|journal=Bull.Zool.Nomencl.|volume=60|issue=1|pages=81-84|url=http://www.iczn.org/BZNMar2003opinions.htm#opinion2027}}</ref> is a [[Domestication|domesticated]] member of the [[Equidae]] or horse family, and an [[Odd-toed ungulates|odd-toed ungulate]]. The wild ancestor of the donkey is the [[African Wild Ass]], ''E. africanus''. Traditionally, the scientific name for the donkey is ''Equus asinus asinus'' based on the [[Priority (nomenclature)|principle of priority]] used for scientific names of animals. However, the [[International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature]] has ruled in 2003 that if the domestic species and the wild species are considered subspecies of each other, the scientific name of the wild species has priority, even when that subspecies has been described after the domestic subspecies.<ref name=Opinion2007/> This means that the proper scientific name for the donkey is ''Equus africanus asinus'' when it is considered a subspecies, and ''Equus asinus'' when it is considered a species.

In the western [[United States]], a small donkey is sometimes called a '''''[[wikt:en:burro#Spanish|burro]]''''' (from the [[Spanish language|Spanish]] word for the animal).

A male donkey or ass is called a '''jack''', a female a '''[[Jenny (donkey)|jenny]]''', and offspring less than one year old, a '''[[foal]]''' (male: [[colt (horse)|colt]], female [[filly]]).

While different species of the [[Equidae]] family can interbreed, offspring are almost always sterile. Nonetheless, horse/donkey [[Hybrid (biology)|hybrid]]s are popular for their durability and vigor. A '''[[mule]]''' is the offspring of a jack (male donkey) and a [[mare (horse)|mare]] (female horse). The much rarer successful mating of a male horse and a female donkey produces a '''[[hinny]]'''.

Asses were first [[domestication of the horse|domesticated]] around 3000 BCE<ref> Rossel S, Marshall F et al. "Domestication of the donkey: Timing, processes, and indicators." PNAS 105(10):3715-3720. March 11, 2008. [http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/abstract/105/10/3715 Abstract]</ref>, approximately the same time as the [[horse]], and have spread around the world. They continue to fill important roles in many places today and domesticated species are increasing in numbers, but the African wild ass and another relative, the [[Onager]], are [[endangered species|endangered]]. As "[[Beast of burden|beasts of burden]]" and companions, asses and donkeys have worked together with humans for centuries.

== Breeding ==

Jennies are pregnant for approximately 12 months, though the gestational period can vary from 11 to almost 14 months.<ref name="alberta">{{cite web
| url = http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/agdex598#Gestation
| title = "The Donkey; Gestation and Care of Jennet During Gestation"
| publisher = Government of Alerta
| work = Agriculture and Rural Development
| date = November 1990
| accessdate = [[2009-06-09]]
}}</ref>
Jennies usually give birth to one foal. Twins are very rare. Only about 1.7 percent of donkey pregnancies result in twins. Both twins survive in only about 14 percent of the cases.

==Characteristics==
[[Image:Esel auf Ydra.jpg|thumb|200px|On [[Hydra, Saronic Islands|the island of Hydra]], because cars are outlawed, donkeys and mules form virtually the sole method of heavy goods transport.]]
Donkeys vary considerably in size, depending on breed and management. Most domestic donkeys range from 0.9 to over 1.4 m tall, though the Mammoth Jack breed is taller, and the [[Andalucia]]n-Cordobesan breed of southern Spain can reach up to 1.6 m high.

Donkeys are adapted to marginal [[desert]] lands, and have many traits that are unique to the species as a result. Wild donkeys live separated from each other, unlike tight [[wild horse]] and [[feral horse]] herds. Donkeys have developed very loud vocalizations, which help keep in contact with other donkeys over the wide spaces of the desert. The best-known call is referred to a "bray," which can be heard for over three kilometers. Donkeys have larger ears than horses. Their longer ears may pick up more distant sounds,{{Fact|date=November 2007}} and may help cool the donkey's blood.
Donkeys in the wild can defend themselves with a powerful kick of their hind legs as well as by biting and striking with their front feet.

Donkeys' tough [[horse anatomy|digestive system]] is somewhat less prone to [[horse colic|colic]] than that of horses, can break down near-inedible vegetation and extract moisture from food very efficiently. As a rule, donkeys need smaller amounts of [[equine nutrition|feed]] than horses of comparable height and weight. Because they are [[easy keeper]]s, if overfed, donkeys are also quite susceptible to developing a condition called [[laminitis]].

==Etymology of the name==
Until recent times, the [[synonym]] ''ass'' was commonly used to refer to ''Equus asinus'' (e.g., as in ''jackass,'' meaning "male donkey"); ''ass'' has clear [[cognate]]s in most other [[Indo-European languages]]. However, its [[homonym]]ity in the United States with the vulgar term ''ass'' for "buttocks" probably influenced its gradual replacement by ''donkey'' when referring to ''Equus asinus''. The word ''donkey'' is an [[etymology|etymologically]] obscure word. The first written use dates to 1785.<ref name=OED>Grose ''Dict. Vulg. Tongue'', "Donkey or Donkey Dick, a he or Jack-ass", ''Oxford English Dictionary'', Second Edition, 1989 ([http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/entry/50068618?query_type=word&queryword=donkey&first=1&max_to_show=10&sort_type=alpha&search_id=1DK6-klIEoh-3183&result_place=2 ''OED Online''], subscription, accessed 8th May 2008)</ref> No credible [[cognate]] for ''donkey'' has yet been identified. Hypotheses on its derivation include the following:
* Perhaps a diminutive of ''[[dun gene|dun]]'' (dull grayish-brown), a typical donkey colour.<ref>[http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com Merriam-Webster Unabridged] (MWU). (Online subscription-based reference service of [[Merriam-Webster]], based on Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged. Merriam-Webster, 2002.) Headword ''donkey''. Accessed 2007-09-13.</ref><ref name=OED/>
* Perhaps from the name ''Duncan''.<ref name="AHD4donkey">{{cite book | author = Houghton Mifflin | authorlink = Houghton Mifflin | title = The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language | edition = 4th ed | publisher = Houghton Mifflin | date= 2000 | location = Boston and New York | pages = 535 | url = http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/epub/ahd4.shtml | isbn = 978-0-395-82517-4}}</ref><ref name=OED/>
* Perhaps of imitative origin.<ref name="AHD4donkey" />

==History==
[[Image:Maler der Grabkammer des Panehsi 001.jpg|thumb|250px|Donkey in an [[Egypt]]ian painting c. 1298-1235 BCE]]
The [[ancestor]]s of the modern donkey are the [[Nubia|Nubian]] and [[Somalia|Somalian]] subspecies of [[African wild ass]].<ref>J. Clutton-Brook, J. ''A Natural History of Domesticated Mammals'' 1999.</ref><ref>Albano Beja-Pereira, "African Origins of the Domestic Donkey," in ''[[Science (journal)|Science]]'', 2004</ref> The African Wild Ass was [[domesticate]]d around 4,000 BCE. The donkey became an important [[pack animal]] for people living in the [[Egypt]]ian and [[Nubia]]n regions as they can easily carry 20% to 30% of their own body weight and can also be used as a farming and dairy animal. By 1800 BCE, the ass had reached the [[Middle East]], where the trading city of [[Damascus]] was referred to as the “City of Asses” in [[Cuneiform script|cuneiform]] texts. [[Syria]] produced at least three breeds of donkeys, including a saddle breed with a graceful, easy gait. These were favored by women.{{Fact|date=December 2007}}

For the [[Greeks]], the donkey was associated with the Syrian god of wine, [[Dionysus]]. The [[Ancient Rome|Romans]] also valued the ass and would use it as a [[sacrificial]] animal.

Equines had become [[extinct]] in the [[Western Hemisphere]] at the end of the last [[Ice Age]]. However, horses and donkeys were brought back to the Americas by the [[Conquistador]]s. In 1495, the ass first appeared in the [[New World]] when [[Christopher Columbus]] brought four jacks and two jennys. It is from this bloodline that many of the mules which the [[Conquistador]]s used while they explored the [[Americas]] were produced.{{Fact|date=November 2007}} Shortly after America became independent, President [[George Washington]] imported the first mammoth jack stock into the country. Because the existing Jack donkeys in the New World at the time lacked the size and strength he sought to produce quality work mules, he imported donkeys from [[Spain]] and [[France]], some standing over 1.63 m tall. One of the donkeys Washington received from the [[Marquis de Lafayette]], named "Knight of Malta," stood 1.43 m and thus was regarded as a great disappointment. Viewing this donkey as unfit for producing mules, Washington instead bred Knight of Malta to his jennys and, in doing so, created an American line of Mammoth Jacks (a breed name that includes both males and females).

Despite these early appearances of donkeys in America, the donkey did not find widespread distribution in America until it was found useful as a [[packhorse|pack animal]] by [[miner]]s, particularly the [[gold]] [[Prospecting|prospector]]s, of the mid-1800s. Miners preferred this animal due to its ability to carry tools, supplies, and [[ore]]. Their sociable disposition and adaptation to human companionship allowed many miners to lead their donkeys without ropes. They simply followed behind their owner. As mining became less an occupation of the individual prospector and more of an industrial underground operation, the miners' donkeys lost their jobs, and many were simply turned loose into the American deserts. Descendants of these donkeys, now [[feral]], can still be seen roaming the Southwest today.
[[Image:2003ass.PNG|thumb|left|Ass headcount in 2003]]

By the early 20th century, donkeys began to be used less as [[working animal]]s and instead kept as pets in the United States and other wealthier nations, while remaining an important work animal in many poorer regions. The donkey as a pet is best portrayed by the appearance of the miniature donkey in 1929. Robert Green imported miniature donkeys to the United States and was a lifetime advocate of the breed. Mr. Green is perhaps best quoted when he said "Miniature Donkeys possess the affectionate nature of a Newfoundland, the resignation of a cow, the durability of a [[mule]], the courage of a tiger, and the intellectual capability only slightly inferior to man's." Standing only 32-40 inches, many families recognized the potential of miniature donkeys as pets and companions for their children.{{Fact|date=September 2008}}

Although the donkey fell from public notice and became viewed as a comical, stubborn beast which was considered “cute” at best, the donkey has recently regained some popularity in [[North America]] as a mount, for pulling wagons, and even as a guard animal. Some standard species are ideal for guarding herds of [[sheep]] against [[predator]]s, since most donkeys have a natural wariness toward coyotes and other canines and will keep them away from the herd.

==Economic use==
[[Image:Skegness4web.jpg|right|upright|thumb|Classic British seaside donkeys in [[Skegness]]]]
[[Image:Donkey_cart_in_Mozambique.JPG|right|thumb|Donkey cart being loaded in [[Mapai, Mozambique]]]]
Donkeys have a notorious reputation for stubbornness, but this has been attributed to a much stronger sense of "self preservation" than exhibited by horses.<ref>http://www.abc.net.au/creaturefeatures/facts/donkeys.htm</ref> Likely based upon a stronger prey instinct and a weaker connection with man, it is considerably more difficult to force or frighten a donkey into doing something it perceives to be dangerous for whatever reason.

Although formal studies of their [[ethology|behaviour]] and [[animal cognition|cognition]] are rather limited, donkeys appear to be quite intelligent, cautious, friendly, playful, and eager to learn. They are often pastured or stabled with horses and ponies, and are thought to have a calming effect on nervous horses. If a donkey is introduced to a [[Mare (horse)|mare]] and [[foal]], the foal will often turn to the donkey for support after it has been weaned from its mother.<ref>[http://www.yptenc.org.uk/docs/factsheets/animal_facts/donkeys.html Donkeys]</ref>

Once a person has earned their confidence they can be willing and companionable partners and very dependable in work{{Fact|date=September 2007}}. For this reason, they are now commonly{{Fact|date=September 2007}} kept as [[pet]]s in countries where their use as beasts of burden has disappeared. They were also used for giving [[Donkey rides|rides]] to children in holiday resorts or other leisure contexts, particularly in [[England]].

==Present status==
There are about 44 million donkeys today. [[China]] has the most with 11 million, followed by [[Pakistan]], [[Ethiopia]] and [[Mexico]]. Some researchers think the real number is higher since many donkeys go uncounted.<ref name="Starkey 1997">[http://216.109.125.130/search/cache?p=donkey+population&fr=yfp-t-501&toggle=1&ei=UTF-8&u=www.atnesa.org/donkeys/donkeys-starkey-populations.pdf&w=donkey+population&d=NKJ_s5IFNnz9&icp=1&.intl=us Starkey, P. and M. Starkey. 1997. ''Regional and World trends in Donkey Populations''. Animal Traction Network for Eastern and Southern Africa (ATNESA)]</ref>

The vast majority of donkeys are used for the same types of work that they have been doing for 6000 years. Their most common role is for transport, whether riding, pack transport, or pulling carts. They may also be used for farm tillage, threshing, raising water, milling, and other jobs. Other donkeys are used to sire mules, as companions for horses, to guard [[sheep]], and as pets. A few are milked or raised for meat<ref name="Starkey 1997"/>

The number of donkeys in the world continues to grow, as it has steadily throughout most of history. Some factors that today are contributing to this are increasing human population, progress in economic development and social stability in some poorer nations, conversion of [[forest]]s to farm and range land, rising prices of motor vehicles and gasoline, and the donkeys' popularity as pets.<ref name="Starkey 1997"/><ref name="Blench 2000">Blench, R. 2000. ''The History and Spread of Donkeys in Africa''. Animal Traction Network for Eastern and Southern Africa (ATNESA)</ref>
[[Image:Equus asinus Kadzidłowo 001.jpg|thumb|200px|A 3 week old donkey]]
In prosperous countries, the welfare of donkeys both at home and abroad has recently become a concern and a number of sanctuaries for retired and rescued donkeys have been set up. The largest is the Donkey Sanctuary of England, which also supports donkey welfare projects in Egypt, Ethiopia, [[India]], [[Kenya]], and Mexico.<ref name="DS 2006">[http://www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk/site/1/Home.html The Donkey Sanctuary (DS). 2006. Website. (accessed December 2, 2006).]</ref>

==Donkeys in warfare==
Donkeys have been used throughout history for transportation of supplies, pulling wagons, and, in a few cases, as riding animals. During [[World War I]] a [[United Kingdom|British]] stretcher bearer, [[John Simpson Kirkpatrick]], serving with the [[Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (army corps)|Australian and New Zealand Army Corps]], used a donkey named Duffy to rescue wounded soldiers, carrying them to safety in [[Gallipoli]]. There is a statue of John Simpson Kirkpatrick and his donkey in his home town, [[South Shields]].

According to British food writer [[Matthew Fort]], donkeys were until recently used in the [[Italian Army]]. The Mountain Fusiliers each had a donkey to [[pack animal|carry]] their gear and in extreme circumstances, the animal could be [[horsemeat|eaten]].<ref name="Vespa">
{{cite book
| last = Fort
| first = Matthew
| authorlink =
| coauthors =
| title = Eating Up Italy: Voyages on a Vespa
| publisher = HarperPerennial
| date = [[2005-06-20]]
| location =
| pages =
| url =
| doi =
| id =
| isbn = 0007214812 }}</ref> In 2006, security forces in [[Afghanistan]] prevented a man taking a donkey which he had laden with 30 [[Kilogram|kg]] (66[[Pound (mass)|lb]]) of [[Explosive material|explosives]] and a number of [[landmine]]s, which would have been set off by a remote controlled [[detonator]], from entering a town in [[Zabul Province]].<ref name="Fox198637">
{{cite news
| last =
| first =
| coauthors =
| title = Afghan Police Stop Bombing Attack From Explosives-laden Donkey
| work =
| pages =
| language =
| publisher = [[Fox News]]
| date = [[2006-06-08]]
| url = http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,198637,00.html
| accessdate = 2007-11-04 }}</ref>

==Types of donkeys==
[[Image:Baudet.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Baudet de Poitou|Poitou donkeys]].]]

===Domestic donkey breeds===
An incomplete list of domestic donkey breeds includes the:
* ''Abyssinian Donkey''
* ''American Spotted Donkey''
* ''Cypriot Donkey''
* ''Mammoth Donkey''
* ''Mammoth Jack''
* ''Miniature Mediterranean Donkey''
* ''[[Baudet de Poitou|Poitou Donkey]]'': The [[Poitou]] Donkey breed was developed in France for the sole purpose of producing [[mule]]s. It is a large donkey breed with a very long shaggy coat and no dorsal stripe.
* ''Spotted Ass''
* ''Standard Donkey''

===Burro===<!-- This section is linked from [[Che Guevara]] -->
[[Image:Adopted Burro.jpg|thumb|right|Adopted wild burro]]
The [[Spain|Spanish]] brought donkeys, called "burros" in Spanish, to [[North America]], where they were prized for their hardiness in arid country and became the [[beast of burden]] of choice by early prospectors in the Southwest United States. In the western United States the word "burro" is often used interchangeably with the word "donkey" by English speakers. Sometimes the distinction is made with smaller donkeys, descended from Mexican stock, called "burros," while those descended from stock imported directly from Europe are called "donkeys."
[[Image:Wild Burros.jpg|left|thumb|Wild burros [[grazing]]]]

The wild burros (or more accurately, [[feral]] burros) on the western rangelands descend from animals that ran away, were abandoned, or were freed. Wild burros in the United States were protected by {{USPL|92|195}}, the [[Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act]] of 1971 (see also ''[[Kleppe v. New Mexico]]''). These animals, considered to be a living legacy, are periodically at risk when there are severe drought conditions. To reduce herd populations and preserve grazing land, the [[Bureau of Land Management]] conducts roundups of burro herds and holds public auctions.

Wild burros can make good pets when treated well and trained properly. They are clever and curious. When trust has been established, they appreciate, and even seek, attention and grooming.

===Donkey hybrids===
A male donkey (jack) can be crossed with a female horse to produce a [[mule]]. A male horse can be crossed with a female donkey (jennet or jenny) to produce a [[hinny]]. A female donkey in the UK is called a ''mare,'' or ''jenny''.

Horse-donkey [[Hybrid (biology)|hybrid]]s are almost always [[infertility|sterile]] because horses have 64 [[chromosome]]s whereas donkeys have 62, producing offspring with 63 chromosomes. Mules are much more common than hinnies. This is believed to be caused by two factors, the first being proven in cat hybrids, that when the chromosome count of the male is the higher, fertility rates drop (as in the case of stallion x jennet). {{Fact|date=May 2008}} The lower progesterone production of the jenny may also lead to early embryonic loss. In addition, there are less-scientific reasons: Due to different [[mating]] behavior, jacks are often more willing to cover mares than stallions are to breed jennys. Further, mares are usually larger than jennys and thus have more room for the ensuing foal to grow in the womb, resulting in a larger animal at birth. It is commonly believed that mules are more easily handled and also physically stronger than hinnies, making them more desirable for breeders to produce, and it is unquestioned that mules are more common in total number.

The offspring of a [[zebra]]-donkey cross is called a zonkey, [[zebroid]], zebrass, or zedonk;<ref>[http://www.lovelongears.com/zorse.html American Donkey and Mule Society: Zebra Hybrids]</ref> ''zebra mule'' is an older term, but still used in some regions today. The foregoing terms generally refer to hybrids produced by breeding a male zebra to a female donkey. ''Zebra hinny, zebret'' and ''zebrinny'' all refer to the cross of a female zebra with a male donkey. Zebrinnies are rarer than zedonkies because female zebras in captivity are most valuable when used to produce full-blooded zebras.<ref>[http://www.geocities.com/zedonknzorse/allabout.html All About Zebra Hybrids]</ref> There are not enough female zebras breeding in captivity to spare them for hybridizing; there is no such limitation on the number of female donkeys breeding.

For at least the past century, a few donkeys and burros in Mexico have been painted with white stripes to amuse tourists. These are not hybrids.

An animal which may look like a zebra-donkey hybrid because of its distinctly striped hindquarters and hind legs is the [[okapi]], which has no relationship to either of those species. Okapi are most closely related to the [[giraffe]]. In addition to the rear stripes, okapi have some striping near the top of their forelegs.

===Wild Ass, Onager, and Kiang===
With domestication of almost all donkeys, few species now exist in the wild. Some of them are the [[African Wild Ass]] (''Equus africanus'') and its subspecies Somalian Wild Ass (''Equus africanus somaliensis''). The Asiatic wild ass or [[Onager]], ''Equus hemionus'', and its relative the [[Kiang]], ''Equus kiang'', are closely related wild species.

There were several other, now extinct (sub)species called the [[Yukon Wild Ass]] (''Equus asinus lambei'') and the [[European Ass]] (''Equus Hydruntinus'') which became extinct during the [[Neolithic]]. In the wild the asses can reach top speeds equalling [[zebra]]s and even most [[horse]]s.

==Cultural references==
[[Image:Automobile of the Orient NGM-v31-p259.jpg|thumb|250px|A North African donkey in a 1917 issue of [[National Geographic Magazine]]]]
The long history of human donkey use has created a rich store of cultural references.

===Religion and myth===
*[[Greek mythology]] includes the story of King [[Midas]] who judged against [[Apollo]] in favor of [[Pan (mythology)|Pan]] during a musical contest, and had his ears changed to those of a donkey as punishment.
*In both [[Jewish]] and [[Christian]] traditions, the [[messiah]] ([[Jesus Christ]] in the later case) was often described as riding on a donkey. As noted, in the context of the [[Hebrew Bible]] this connoted wealth and affluence befitting the [[Davidic line|House of David]], as at the time commoners are described as simply going on foot. However, in later times when the aristocracy used [[horse]]s, depicting the messiah as riding a donkey came to have an opposite connotation, as indicating a simple, sober way of life and avoiding luxury. The same connotation is evident in the description of [[saint]]s such as [[Francis of Assisi]] as riding donkeys.
*In contemporary [[Israel]], the term "Messiah's Donkey" (Chamoro Shel Mashiach חמורו של משיח) stands at the center of a controversial religious-political doctrine, attributed to [[Abraham Isaac Kook|Rabbi Avraham Yitchak Hacohen Cook]], under which it was the Heavenly-imposed "task" of secular [[Zionists]] to build up a [[Jewish State]], but once the state is established they are fated to give place to [[Orthodox Jews|the Religious]] who are ordained to lead the state. The secularists in this analogy are "The Donkey" while the religious who are fated to supplant them are a collective "Messiach". A book on the subject, published in 1998 by the militant secularist Sefi Rechlevsky, aroused a major controversy in the Israeli public opinion.<ref>[http://www.hofesh.org.il/books/chamoro.html<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
*In [[Genesis]] the King of [[Shechem]] (the modern [[Nablus]]), killed by [[Jacob]]'s sons, is called "Hamor" - showing that at the time this animal was held in high enough esteem that it was no disrespect for royalty to use its name as their first name. (See [[Dinah]], [[Shechem]], [[Animal names as first names in Hebrew]]).
*In Numbers 22:22-41 "The Lord opened the mouth of the donkey" (vs. 28) and it speaks to [[Balaam]]. In Judges 15:13-17 where the hero [[Samson]] slays Philistines with the jawbone of an ass. Additional references can be found in Deuteronomy 22:10, Job 11:12, Proverbs 26:3 and elsewhere.
*[[Muhammad]], the prophet of [[Islam]] said that dogs and donkeys - if they pass in front of men in prayer - they will void or nullify that prayer.<ref>Al-Nawawi, Sahih Muslim, 3-4:450-1; Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Musnad, 5:194, 197, 202, 208; Abu Bakr Ibn al-‘Arabi, ‘Aridat al-Ahwadhi bi Sharh Sahih al-Tirmidhi (Beirut: Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyya, n.d.), 1:133. All reported in El-Fadl.</ref> He also said that "when you hear the braying of donkeys, seek Refuge with Allah from [[Satan]] for (their braying indicates) that they have seen a devil."<ref name=donkey_cock>{{Bukhari|4|54|522}}</ref>
*Several were buried in [[Hor-Aha]]'s tomb
*The ass was a symbol of the Greek god [[Dionysus]], particularly in relationship to his companion, [[Silenus]].
*The most common Greek word for ass appears roughly 100 times in the Biblical text. In the [[Gospel]]s, [[Jesus]] rides a donkey into [[Jerusalem]] (Mark 11:1 in which ''colt'' refers to a donkey colt).
*There are numerous references to the donkey ("hamor" or "chamor" חמור) in the [[Hebrew Bible]], ([[Old Testament]]). It mostly appears reflecting the natural environment of [[Israel]] and as an aspect of the agricultural economy. Ownership of many donkeys is a sign of God’s [[blessing]]. The Bible often specifies whether a person rode donkeys, since this was used to indicate a person’s wealth in much the same way luxury cars do today. ([[Horse]]s at that time were used solely for war, powerful kings such as [[Solomon]] being the only ones who could afford to import them from [[Egypt]].)
*Traditionally, [[Mary, the mother of Jesus|Mary]] is portrayed as [[Little Donkey|riding a donkey]] while pregnant. Legend has it that the cross on the donkey’s shoulders comes from the shadow of Christ’s [[crucifixion]], placing the donkey at the foot of the cross. It was once believed that hair cut from this cross and hung from a child’s neck in a bag would prevent fits and convulsions.

===Fable and folklore===
*[[Europe]]an folklore claims that the tail of a donkey can be used to combat [[whooping cough]] or [[scorpion]] stings.
*An [[India]]n tale has an ass dressed in a [[black panther|panther]] skin gave himself away by braying.
*One of [[Aesop]]'s [[fable]]s has an ass dressed in a [[lion]] skin who gives himself away by braying.

===Literature===
*[[Benjamin (Animal Farm)|Benjamin]], the [[skepticism|skeptical]] donkey from [[George Orwell]]'s ''[[Animal Farm]]''.
Any number of donkeys appear in world literary works.
*In [[Don Quixote]], [[Sancho Panza]] rides a donkey he refers to as "my ''rucio''" or "the ''rucio''", an elegant (and ironic) designation of the texture of the animal's fur.<ref>[http://www.h-net.org/~cervantes/csa/articf04/palabrarucio.pdf The word "rucio" (in Spanish).]</ref>
*[[Eeyore]], the gloomy donkey from [[A.A. Milne]]'s [[Winnie-the-Pooh]] books.
*In [[Pinocchio]], naughty boys turn into donkeys and are sold off to hard labour by the evil [[Coachman]]. In the book, Pinocchio turns into a donkey for a time.
*[[Platero]] in [[Juan Ramon Jimenez]]'s ''Platero and I''
*[[Puzzle (Narnia)|Puzzle]] in [[C. S. Lewis]]'s [[The Last Battle]].
*In [[William Shakespeare]]'s ''[[A Midsummer Night's Dream]]'', the character Bottom has his head turned into that of a donkey by [[Puck]] who was told by [[Oberon (Fairy King)|Oberon]], king of the fairies, to change it.

===Film===
*The [[Disney]] [[film]] ''[[Fantasia (film)|Fantasia]]'' (1940) features a Dionysian character on a donkey.
*A donkey is the central character of the film [[Au hasard Balthazar]] by [[Robert Bresson]].
*[[Donkey (Shrek)|Donkey]] is the name of a fictional donkey (voiced by [[Eddie Murphy]]) in the [[animated]] movies ''[[Shrek]]'', ''[[Shrek 2]]'' and ''[[Shrek the Third]]'', all from [[DreamWorks Pictures]].

===Proverb and idiom===
*A German proverb claims a donkey can wear a lion suit but its ear will still stick out and give it away.
*British colloquial expressions also include "donkey's years" which means for a long time or for many years, "to talk the hind leg off a donkey" means to tire somebody with one's talk.
*[[Speed bump]]s are called in the [[Rioplatense Spanish]] of [[Argentina]] "''lomos de burro''", that is, "donkey's backs."
*Classical [[Greece|Greek]] expressions about donkeys included: ''onos pros eortēn'' = "a donkey at the festival" (gets all the work); ''onos hyetai'' = "a donkey is rained on" (i.e. he is unaffected or insensitive), ''onos pros phatnēn'' = "a donkey at a feed trough" (like the English expression "in clover").
*English proverbs include "better be the head of an ass than the tail of a horse", "if an ass goes a-traveling, he'll not come back a horse", and "better ride on an ass that carries me home than a horse that throws me" (though all these are now obsolete).

===Pub names===
*''The Jack and Jenny'' is a common pub-name in Britain.

===Advertising===
*Budweiser used a donkey in advertising during Super Bowl in 2004, called the Budweiser donkey he trains to be a Budweiser [[Clydesdale horse|Clydesdale]] complete with hair extensions.

===Insult and vulgarity===
*In [[Arabic]], حمار (''ḥimar''), meaning "donkey", is a derogatory term that refers to someone of very limited intelligence. Another usage is حمار شغل (''ḥimar shuġl'', literally "work donkey"), roughly equivalent in meaning to [[workaholic]] but with a distinct derogatory note and typically implying that the work is routine and non-creative; for example, someone might say, "Give that job to Ali, he's a work donkey anyway and he won't mind."
*Because of its connection with ignorance, in modern [[slang]], referring to someone as a ''dumbass'' means that they are [[intelligent|unintelligent]]. Many people would find this term [[vulgar]] and rude.
*In contrast, to refer to someone as a ''jackass'' in modern slang provides a connotation of being obnoxious, rude, and thoughtless, with or without the added connotation of stupidity. This usage is also considered [[vulgar]]. A less vulgar substitute is ''donkey'' itself.
*In [[football (soccer)|football]], especially in the [[United Kingdom]], a player who is considered unskilful, and to rely overly on his physical attributes to cover up his technical shortcomings, is often dubbed a "donkey."
*The term "donkey" in [[British English]] is used in [[horse racing]] to refer to unsuccessful horses.
*The donkey has long been a symbol of ignorance. Examples can be found in [[Aesop]]'s ''Fables'', [[Apuleius]]'s ''[[The Golden Ass]]'' (''The Metamorphoses of Lucius Apuleius'') and [[William Shakespeare|Shakespeare]]'s ''[[A Midsummer Night's Dream]]''.
*The term "donkey" is frequently used to refer to unskilled [[poker]] players, especially those playing in a predictably loose and unthinking fashion. Compare "patzer" in chess.
*The unmodified word ''ass'' and the adjectival form ''asinine'' have entered common use in the English language as terms used to describe a person who is stubborn, foolish, or disagreeable.

===Politics===
*In an [[election]] under a [[preferential voting|preferential voting system]], a vote that simply writes down preferences in the order of the candidates (1 at the top, then 2, and so on) is called a [[donkey vote]].
*The donkey is also the symbol for the [[Democratic Party of the United States]], originating in a [[cartoon]] by [[Thomas Nast]] of [[Harper's Weekly]] (Nast also originated the [[elephant]] as the symbol of the [[Republican Party (United States)]].
*The ''"ruc català"'' or ''"burro català"'' (Catalan donkey) is a relatively recent [[Catalan symbols|symbol of Catalonia]]. It was chosen when the need was felt in [[Catalonia]] to produce something genuinely Catalan to oppose to the Spanish [[Osborne bull]]. The bull was perceived by Catalans as a [[centralism|centralistic]] symbol, alien to their culture.<ref>[http://www.fuives.com/ Ruc català - (Catalan donkey)]</ref>

==See also==
*[[Baudet de Poitou]]
*[[Burro Racing]]
*[[Exploding donkey]]
*[[Hinny]]
*[[Jenny (donkey)]] ("[[Jennet]]" was a type of medieval horse)
*[[Mule]]
*[[Ponui donkey]]
*[[Safe Haven for Donkeys in the Holy Land]]
*[[Asses' milk]]

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==References==
*Blench, R. 2000. ''The History and Spread of Donkeys in Africa''. Animal Traction Network for Eastern and Southern Africa (ATNESA)
*Clutton-Brook, J. 1999. ''A Natural History of Domesticated Mammals''. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521634954
*The Donkey Sanctuary (DS). 2006. Website. [http://www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk/site/1/Home.html] (accessed December 2, 2006).
*Huffman, B. 2006. [http://www.ultimateungulate.com/Perissodactyla/Equus_asinus.html ''The Ultimate Ungulate Page: Equus asinus'']. (accessed December 2, 2006).
*International Museum of the Horse (IMH). 1998. [http://www.imh.org/imh/bw/donkey.html#toc ''Donkey'']. (accessed December 3, 2006).
*Nowak, R. M., and J. L. Paradiso. 1983. ''Walker's Mammals of the World''. Baltimore, Maryland, USA : The Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 0801825253
*Oklahoma State University (OSU). 2006. [http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/other ''Breeds of Livestock'']. (accessed December 3, 2006).
*Starkey, P. and M. Starkey. 1997. ''Regional and World trends in Donkey Populations''. Animal Traction Network for Eastern and Southern Africa (ATNESA) [http://216.109.125.130/search/cache?p=donkey+population&fr=yfp-t-501&toggle=1&ei=UTF-8&u=www.atnesa.org/donkeys/donkeys-starkey-populations.pdf&w=donkey+population&d=NKJ_s5IFNnz9&icp=1&.intl=us]

==External links==
{{Commonscat|Equus asinus}}
*[http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/other/donkey/poitou/ Breeds of livestock - Poitou Donkey]
*[http://www.wildhorseandburro.blm.gov/index.php National Wild Horse and Burro Program]

{{Perissodactyla}}
{{Equus|state=collapsed}}

[[Category:Donkeys|*]]
[[Category:Catalan symbols]]
[[Category:Pet mammals]]

[[am:አህያ]]
[[ar:حمار]]
[[an:Burro]]
[[gn:Chavurro]]
[[ay:Asnu]]
[[az:Eşşək]]
[[bm:Fali]]
[[bn:গাধা]]
[[bcl:Asno]]
[[br:Azen]]
[[bg:Магаре]]
[[ca:Ase]]
[[cs:Osel domácí]]
[[co:Sumere]]
[[da:Æsel]]
[[de:Hausesel]]
[[nv:Télii]]
[[el:Γάιδαρος]]
[[eml:Èsen]]
[[es:Equus asinus]]
[[eo:Azeno]]
[[fa:خر]]
[[fr:Equus asinus]]
[[gl:Burro]]
[[hak:Lì-è]]
[[ko:당나귀]]
[[ha:Jaki]]
[[hr:Domaći magarac]]
[[io:Asno]]
[[id:Keledai]]
[[it:Equus asinus]]
[[he:חמור הבית]]
[[ka:ვირი]]
[[la:Equus asinus]]
[[lv:Mājas ēzelis]]
[[lb:Iesel]]
[[lt:Laukinis asilas]]
[[li:Aezel]]
[[lmo:Àsen]]
[[hu:Háziszamár]]
[[ml:കഴുത]]
[[cdo:Lè̤]]
[[my:မြည်း]]
[[nl:Ezel (dier)]]
[[ja:ロバ]]
[[ce:Вир]]
[[no:Esel]]
[[nn:Esel]]
[[oc:Equus asinus]]
[[pl:Osioł]]
[[pt:Asno]]
[[ro:Măgar]]
[[qu:Asnu]]
[[ru:Осёл]]
[[sc:Àinu]]
[[scn:Sceccu]]
[[simple:Donkey]]
[[sl:Osel]]
[[sr:Магарац]]
[[fi:Aasi]]
[[sv:Åsna]]
[[tl:Asno]]
[[ta:கழுதை]]
[[te:గాడిద]]
[[th:ลา]]
[[tg:Хар]]
[[tr:Eşek]]
[[uk:Віслюк]]
[[ug:ئېشەك]]
[[vi:Lừa]]
[[wa:Ågne]]
[[diq:Her]]
[[zh:驴]]

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