Persian Onager

The Persian onager, also called the Persian wild ass or Persian zebra, is a subspecies of onager native to Iran. It is listed as Endangered, with no more than 600 individuals left in the wild and only 30 individuals living within North American institutions. Persian onagers are social creatures and live in herds. Older males may stay solitary. Females live in herds consisting of other females and young. A male usually guards its main territory, and groups of females migrate between these guarded territories or stay in one guarded territory. Males and females differ only slightly outwardly, with males being only slightly larger. Male Persian onagers stand around 4.9 feet (1.5 meters) tall at the shoulder and are about 6.5 feet (2 meters) long. They weigh about 440 to 575 pounds (200 to 260 kilograms). Females are just slightly smaller than males.

Population: between 600 and 700 individuals

Scientific name: Equus hemionus onager

Mass: 490 lbs (Adult)

Higher classification: Onager

Rank: Subspecies

Order: Perissodactyla

Species: E. hemionus