Donkey (Equus africanus asinus) — A gray domestic donkey wearing a red halter stands beside a rural shelter.

Creator: Juan Carlos Fonseca Mata, Burro lechero en México.jpg, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. License deed: [CC BY-SA 4.0 deed](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en).

Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0

View image source

Species record

Donkey

Equus africanus asinus

Explore the Donkey (Equus africanus asinus) species record in The Ark Is Earth, including classification, habitat, distribution, conservation information, and sources.

Summary

The donkey is the domesticated form of the African wild ass and is kept by people around the world. Donkeys carry loads and do other work; their small hooves help them keep steady footing on rough, rocky ground.

Classification in this archive

Kingdom: Animals
Phylum: Chordates
Subphylum: Vertebrates
Class: Mammals
Order: Odd-toed ungulates
Family: Equidae
Genus: Equus

Habitat and distribution

Selected documented locations — not a complete species range.

Habitat: managed farms and working landscapes, dry grasslands and rangelands, rocky and mountainous terrain
Selected regions: Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, South America, Oceania
Selected countries: Ethiopia, Mexico, Spain, India

Conservation status

Conservation status not recorded.

Did you know?

A donkey’s small hooves help it keep steady footing on rocky ground.
Donkeys have very long ears, one of their most recognizable features.

More images

Sources and attribution

General
Encyclopaedia Britannica — Donkey
Accessed 2026-09-28
Summary
Animal Diversity Web — Donkey and African Wild Ass
Accessed 2026-09-28