Nubian wild ass

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Nubian wild ass
Bonaire's Critically-Endangered Nubian Wild Ass.jpg
Nubian wild asses at Bonaire, Netherlands.

Critically endangered, possibly extinct in the wild (IUCN 2.3)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Mammalia
Order:
Perissodactyla
Family:
Equidae
Genus:
Equus
Species:
E. africanus
Subspecies:
E. a. africanus
Trinomial name
Equus africanus africanus
Synonyms

Equus africanus dianae
(Dollman, 1935)

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The Nubian wild ass (Equus africanus africanus) is a subspecies of the African wild ass, and probably the ancestor of domestic donkeys,.[3] The ass was domesticated about 6,000 years ago, probably in Egypt or Mesopotamia.[citation needed]

The Nubian wild ass is most likely extinct in the wild since the 1950s.[citation needed] However, the IUCN Red List[1] still mentions it as critically endangered. It is closely related to the Somali wild ass,[citation needed] which is also on the brink of extinction in the wild.

Characteristics

The Nubian wild ass is known for its stamina.[citation needed] It has a slender body and a stripe across the shoulder.[citation needed] Its head is rather large, with two long slender ears.[citation needed] The shoulder height of the Nubian wild ass is about 120 centimeters.[citation needed] Skin color varies from light brown to gray.[citation needed]

Habitat and distribution

Nubian wild asses used to live in the northeast of Africa,[citation needed] ranging from mountains and rocky areas to semideserts and grasslands.[citation needed] The wild population of Nubian wild asses live in the Gebel Elba National Park found in between Sudan and Egypt.

Ecology and behavior

Diet

The diet of the Nubian wild ass includes grasses and types of forbs.[citation needed] Feeding occurs during the night and early morning.[citation needed]

Lifestyle

Males tend to live alone or in small groups.[citation needed] Females and young animals live in herds.[citation needed] There is no strict hierarchy in the herd, and when fights erupt, the animals kick and bite each other.[citation needed]

During the heat of day, the Nubian wild ass takes refuge in the shade.[citation needed]

Reproduction

After almost a year of gestation, the female typically gives birth to one foal.[citation needed] The mother and foal separate themselves from the herd until the foal is able to recognize its mother.[citation needed]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Equid Specialist Group (1996). Equus africanus ssp. africanus. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. www.iucnredlist.org. Retrieved on 18 May 2008.
  2. ↑ (German) Heuglin Th. v & Fitzinger L. J. (1866). "Systematische Übersicht der Säugethiere Nordost-Afrika’s mit Einschluß der arabischen Küste, des rothen Meeres, der Somáli- und der Nilquellen-Länder, südwärts bis zum vierten Grade nördlicher Breite. Von Dr Theodor v. Heuglin. Nach brieflichen Mittheilungen und den Original-Exemplaren des Herrn Verfassers ergänzt und mit Zusätzen versehen von dem w. M. Dr Leopold Joseph Fitzinger". Sitzungsberichte der Kaiserlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Abt. 1. Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Klasse 54: 537-611.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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