Kingdom animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Mammalia
Order Perissodactyla
Family Equity
Gender Equus
SpeciesEquus donkey (ass)
Equus cabalus (mare)
Ass and donkey are popular names attributed to the donkey, an animal that inhabits almost all regions of the world and illustrates this article.
The calf of the donkey crossing (equus asinus) with the mare (equus caballus) is called a donkey, if male, and mule, if female.
The result of a cross between different species, these animals are generally sterile - as well as the bardote, an individual resulting from the crossing between a horse and a donkey. This is due to the fact that the equus caballus has 64 chromosomes and Equus asinus, 62, resulting in offspring with 63 chromosomes. Odd-numbered chromosomes confer changes in meiosis, making gamete viability difficult.
Donkeys and mules (bardot, donkey and mule) are resistant animals, of medium to small size and with large ears - the former being larger. Donkeys are shorter in stature than mules and donkeys, and have more hair. These individuals can live for up to 40 years, although in Brazil the expectation is much lower: approximately 15 years, due to changes occurred in recent decades, resulting from globalization and that made this animal, today, is seen as a synonym of backwardness and slowness.
The donkey is mentioned in historical documents, such as the Bible, showing that it is an animal that has been in contact with the human species since the most remote times. For centuries it was a means of transport, a pet and even given as an inheritance, as a valuable asset. With urbanization, today you see many of these animals loose, abandoned, having been replaced by motorcycles and cars. Thus, these animals that were once companions of our species - including being the subject of songs by Luiz Gonzaga - suffer from the phenomenon of urbanization.
Curiosity:
Mares are horses, mules are mules; and donkeys, beasts and donkeys are the donkeys!
By Mariana Araguaia
Graduated in Biology
