Interesting and fun facts about the Ass

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Asino: An asino is the Italian word for “donkey”.

Ass: An ass is either a male or female donkey.

Burro: A burro is the Spanish word for “donkey”.

Colt: A colt is a young male donkey which is less than four years of age.

Filly: A filly is a young female donkey which is less than four years of age.

Foal: A foal is a baby male or female donkey up to one year old.

Gelding: A castrated male donkey.

Hinny: A hinny is the result of breeding between a female donkey and a male horse.

Jack: A jack is a term for a male donkey.

Jenny: A jenny (or jennet) is a term for a female donkey.

Mare: A female donkey.

Moke: A moke is a British term for a donkey.

Molly: A molly is a term for a female mule.

Mule: A mule is the result of breeding between a male donkey and a female horse.

Rig: A rig is an entire male donkey with no signs of external testicles.

Stallion: A stallion is a male donkey that has not been gelded (castrated).

Yearling: A yearling is a young male or female donkey between one and two years of age.

Credit to The Donkey Sanctuary - https://www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk/

• Donkeys are not like horses; they differ physically, mentally and emotionally. Donkeys are more stoical in their behavior and tend to startle less than horses. Compared to horses, donkeys show limited fear response to novel situations and this can be mistaken for stubbornness rather than fear. Teaching a donkey requires a different mind set to teaching a horse; they can not be rushed into doing something they don’t want to do! Donkeys are very social animals and like company and develop very strong emotional attachments with other animals. Because of this, it is not advised to keep donkeys as lone animals. 
• Donkeys are much stronger than horses of the same size.
• Donkeys gastrointestinal tracts are much more efficient than horses and utilize up to 95% of what they eat.
• A donkeys bray can be heard from as far away as 60 miles in the desert.
• Their large ears are full of blood vessels designed to dissipate heat and help keep donkeys cool. They can sweat but less than horses and primarily cool down through their large ears.

Credit to https://www.ed.ac.uk/files/imports/fileManager/donkey%20fact%20sheet.pdf 

Yes, donkeys are very intelligent! They have a good memory and excellent ability to learn. In fact, according to a study released in 2013, we found out that donkeys in some situations can learn and problem-solve as quickly as dogs and dolphins. The more things a donkey learns, the faster they get at learning things in the future. Donkeys also remember both good and bad experiences for a long time and can even remember people’s faces if they’re in contact with them for a lengthy period. All donkeys are individuals, and some have better learning abilities than others due to their characters. 

Credit to The Donkey Sanctuary - https://www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk/

No, donkeys aren’t colorblind – but they do have different vision than us humans. Donkeys, like all equines, are ‘dichromatic’, meaning they have a two-color vision. It is likely that donkeys can see blue and green but cannot distinguish red. This means that a juicy red apple would look green to a donkey, but just as delicious! 

Credit to The Donkey Sanctuary - https://www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk/

A donkeys bray can carry up to 60 miles away in the desert!

 Yes, they do! Donkeys snooze standing up, and when they’re in a deep sleep, you’ll find them lying down on the floor. Did you know that donkeys sleep for short periods throughout each 24 hours and usually only sleep for a maximum of five hours a day? Because they are known as a ‘prey animal’ – susceptible to predators in the wild, donkeys are naturally very aware of their surroundings. Sleeping for long periods of time would make them more vulnerable to being predated on. 

Credit to The Donkey Sanctuary - https://www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk/articles/donkey-facts

Donkeys use their ears to communicate a variety of things, including their feelings, hearing and how they're keeping cool.  They have large hears with many blood vessels that help them dissipate heat and keep cool.  Their ears are so sensitive they can hear a persons heart beating from a distance.

• Ears to the side: happiness and contentment
• Ears laid back:  can mean the donkey is happy, thinking, playful or angry
• Ears straight up and alert:  can indicate donkey is alert
• Ears moving in different directions: Donkey is listening and can help pinpoint where a sound is coming from