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ass

ass hoofed, herbivorous mammal of the genus Equus, closely related to the horse . It is distinguished from the horse by its small size, large head, long ears, and small hooves. There are two living species: Equus hemonius, the Asian ass, and E. asinus, the African ass. The latter species includes the domesticated variety, E. asinus asinus, commonly known as the donkey. A male ass is called a jackass and a female, a jenny. Wild asses are swift desert animals that may attain speeds of up to 40 mi (60 km) per hr. They live in herds of up to 1,000 animals.

The Asian Ass

The Asian wild ass typically has a sandy-colored coat with lighter-colored legs and belly, a short erect black mane, a black spinal stripe, and a black tail tuft. Its neigh is shrill. Different races of this species vary in size, but all are smaller than the African ass. They were once widely distributed across Asia, but they have been crowded out of their grazing lands by domestic livestock and have been hunted for their flesh and hides. Each race is now restricted to a very limited territory. Among them are the Persian ass, or onager , of central Asia; the Mongolian ass, or kulan, of NE Asia; the Tibetan ass, or kiang, presently the most numerous Asian wild ass; and the Indian ass, or ghorkhar. All are considered endangered, and the continued survival of the onager and the kulan is particularly threatened. The Syrian wild ass, of SW Asia, is probably already extinct.

African Asses and Donkeys

The two wild races of the African species, called Nubian and Somali wild asses, are becoming rare. They are found in the mountains and deserts of NE Africa. The African ass averages about 4 1/2 ft (135 cm) in shoulder height; it is grayish in color, with longer ears and mane than the Asian ass, and with a characteristic loud, harsh bray. Its descendant, the donkey, is the oldest domestic beast of burden; it is believed to have been domesticated in Egypt by c.4000 BC A variety of the Asian ass was used in ancient Mesopotamia but did not survive as a domestic animal; all modern domestic donkeys are descended from the African species.

The donkey is still used as a pack and draft animal. Although not as swift or powerful as the horse, it is strong for its size and has great powers of endurance. Donkeys are more surefooted than horses in mountainous country and are cheaper to maintain, as they feed on dry scrub. They may live up to 47 years, about twice as long as a horse. In some regions the donkey is crossbred with the horse to produce a mule .

The donkey was once widely used in Mexico and the SW United States, where it was known by its Spanish name of burro. A large population of feral donkeys (wild descendants of domesticated animals) now exists in the deserts of that region. Feral donkeys are also found in the Old World, where they have given rise to some confusion about the number of true wild asses left in existence.

Classification

Asses are classified in the phylum Chordata , subphylum Vertebrata, class Mammalia, order Perissodactyla, family Equidae.

Related newspaper, magazine, and trade journal articles from HighBeam Research

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	Totally my ass.(Piotr Uklanski's Untitled (GingerAss)) Magazine article from: Artforum International; 9/1/2003; ; 465 words ; ...2002 PIOTR UKLANSKI took a photograph of my ass. My naked buttocks are shown in full frame...I am slightly bending over, flashing my ass to the camera as if begging for a good smack...of an artist. Just another white girl's ass? Purchasing three pages in Artforum in order... Read more
	Lemuel self-translated; or, being an ass in Houyhnhnmland. Magazine article from: The Modern Language Review; 1/1/2005; ; 700+ words ; Lemuel Self-Translated; or, Being an Ass in Houyhnhnmland by Michael J. Franklin...classical metamorphic archetype of man as ass by psychologically translating himself into...Inch of Ground. (Jonathan Swift)' (1) An ass and an addled egg provide, in the playful... Read more
	Kim Wirth joins Bader Rutter as Ass't Acc't Exec and the agency promotes Lindsay Sasse to Ass't Acc't Exec working on the Dow AgroSciences account.(AGENCY NEWS) Magazine article from: Agri Marketing; 7/1/2008; 50 words ; Kim Wirth joins Bader Rutter as Ass't Acc't Exec and the agency promotes Lindsay Sasse to Ass't Acc't Exec working on the Dow AgroSciences account. Allyssa Berry joins the agency's PR group as Ass't Acc't Exec. Rick Stoner joins as an Acc't Exec... Read more
	Bad Ass Coffee connects soldiers with home front.(APPLAUSE) Magazine article from: Alaska Business Monthly; 9/1/2006; ; 211 words ; The Bad Ass Coffee Co., which recently introduced a Cup...Dan Ronnow, Director of Distribution for Bad Ass Coffee. The company said it has procured more...Cup O' Joe program is going on at each Bad Ass Coffee franchise throughout the world and... Read more
	Seat backs introduced for Smart Ass Seats: the Ford Drum Company.(NEW PRODUCTS: THE LATEST AND GREATEST IN NEW PRODUCT INTRODUCTIONS) Magazine article from: Music Trades; 2/1/2008; 222 words ; ...Company, which recently launched its Smart Ass line of musician seats, is now offering...T-Birds and Corvettes of the 1950s, the Smart Ass features contrasting seat bands, tops, and...has an even a greater vibe. The Ford Smart Ass line of seats feature advanced Swedish pressure-relievi... Read more
	Karen & Kevin Push: Franchisees of Bad Ass Coffee Co. (Profile).(Brief Article) Magazine article from: Entrepreneur; 1/1/2002; ; 273 words ; ...big dreams and a spunky name. In 1994, Bad Ass Coffee Co. in Kona, Hawaii, caught the eye...makes us who we are, she says. We're Bad Ass, as opposed to something boring like Karen...Pushed. The move was also smart for Bad Ass. With profit margins benefiting from sales... Read more
	"Smart ass" drum thrones on market: Ford Drum.(PRODUCTS: THE LATEST AND GREATEST IN NEW PRODUCT INTRODUCTIONS) Magazine article from: Music Trades; 7/1/2007; 267 words ; ...a new seat product line called the Smart Ass. Featuring ultra-cool '40s and '50s retro-sty...seat bands, tops, and piping, Ford Smart Ass seats were designed with every drummer's...in mind. What truly makes the Ford Smart Ass unique is what lies beneath the stunning... Read more
	In Life, First You Kick Ass.(Brief Article)(Book Review) Magazine article from: The Bookwatch; 3/1/2006; 139 words ; In Life, First You Kick Ass Mike Ditka & Rick Telander Sports Publishing...95 1-877-424-2665 In Life, First You Kick Ass: Reflections On The 1985 Bears And Wisdom...Ditka has to say In Life, First You Kick Ass: Reflections On The 1985 Bears And Wisdom... Read more
	Bad Ass idea?(VALLEY BRIEFS) Magazine article from: San Fernando Valley Business Journal; 10/10/2005; 191 words ; ...acquired the franchise rights to open 27 Bad Ass Coffee locations in Southern California, and...believe, some of the auxiliary products Bad Ass offers will be in high demand. Salt Lake City-based Bad Ass Coffee Company of Hawaii Inc. currently has... Read more
	The fortunes of Apuleius and the Golden Ass; a study in transmission and reception.(Brief Article)(Book Review) Magazine article from: Reference & Research Book News; 5/1/2008; 145 words ; 9780691131368 The fortunes of Apuleius and the Golden Ass; a study in transmission and reception. Gaisser, Julia Haig...writer Apuleius is best known for his Metamorphoses or The Golden Ass, the only Roman novel that has survived to the present, but... Read more

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