The Donkey

Donkeys, also known as burros and asses, are members of the Equidae family that can be found throughout the world. They look a lot like horses and zebras, but have long, floppy ears and are stockier. There are three main types of donkeys: wild, feral, and domestic. A wild donkey stands 49 inches at the shoulder and weighs about 550 pounds. Domesticated donkeys stand at about 40 inches and weigh between 400 to 500 pounds. The commonly known domestic donkey has been used as a pack animal since 4000 BCE.  Male donkeys are called jacks and females are called jennies or jennets. Either sex typically crossbreeds with other members of the Equidae family making hybrids very common within the species.

Donkeys are herbivores. They eat grass, shrubs, and desert plants voraciously. They require fewer proteins and more fiber. Donkey nutrition is very important to their owners as their strength and health are needed to complete tasks. They typically eat hay, oat/wheat straw, succulents i.e. apples, carrots, and high fiber pellets. 

Donkeys have specific dental anatomy that has been adapted to their grazing habits. They have incisors located at the front of the mouth used for grasping and cutting grass. Their premolars and molars, located towards the back, grind the food. Donkeys break down the fibrous plant materials in a circular motion and mix it with saliva. 

Donkeys are monogastric, meaning they have a single-chambered stomach, unlike ruminants. They are also hindgut fermenters. The fermentation occurs in the large intestine, particularly in the cecum and colon. Therefore, they are both cecal and colonic digesters.