The island also harbors several rarely-seen species, including the white Asinara donkey.

In some areas domestic donkeys have returned to the wild and established feral populations such as those of the Burro of North America and the Asinara donkey of Sardinia, Italy, both of which have protected status.

The fauna numbers around 80 wild species of terrestrial vertebrates, including mouflon, wild boar, horses, Sardinian donkeys and the white Asinara donkey, which was introduced onto the island at the beginning of the 1800s, and probably abandoned when the inhabitants were moved to Stintino.

Donkey (Equus asinus)

Traditionally, the scientific name for the donkey is Equus asinus asinus based on the principle of priority used for scientific names of animals.

In their book Donkey: The Mystique of Equus Asinus, Tobias and Morrison examined donkeys through an interdisciplinary ecological approach.

Both horses and donkeys belong to the genus Equus, but Equus caballus has 64 chromosomes, while Equus asinus only has 62.

Feral donkeys in Australia (and elsewhere) are donkeys (scientific name Equus asinus) which escaped from captivity, and are living and breeding in the wild.

This means that the proper scientific name for the donkey is Equus africanus asinus when it is considered a subspecies, and Equus asinus when it is considered a species.

They were hunted in Syria, Anatolia, Mesopotamia, Iran, and Central Asia; and domesticated asses (Equus asinus) were imported into Mesopotamia, probably from Egypt, but wild horses apparently did not live there.

A Map With around 3000 donkeys active on Lamu, Equus asinus is still the main form of transport here, and this sanctuary was established by the International Donkey Protection Trust of Sidmouth, UK, to improve the lot of the island's hard-working beasts of burden.

There are, however, other advantages in the way the Poitou donkeys are managed.

Other animals which you can see in this area include rabbits, Poitou donkeys, and llamas.

The resultant foal became one of three Poitou donkeys in Australia.

In 1884, a studbook was established for the Poitou donkey in France.

The Poitou donkey is "instantly recognizable" for a number of unusual characteristics that distinguish it from other donkeys.

In the Middle Ages, owning a Poitou donkey may have been a status symbol among the local French nobility.

In 1981, 18 large donkeys from Portugal were acquired for use in breeding Poitou donkeys.

Some of them are exotic looking, like the long-eared and hairy Poitou donkey, which would have been a perfect mount for Sancho Panza.

Poitou donkey and mule breeders were extremely protective of their breeding practices, some of which were "highly unusual and misguided."

Poitevin mares were crossbred with Poitou donkeys to create the famous Poitou mule, a large, hardy breed.

In 2001, scientists in Australia successfully implanted a Poitou donkey embryo created by artificial insemination in the womb of a Standardbred mare.

Today, many Poitou donkeys are shorn for the purpose of hygiene, but some Poitou are allowed to grow their coats out so as to have "bourailloux", or coats of great length.

Breeds that influenced the mammoth jack include the Maltese donkey, Poitou donkey (itself also sometimes called the mammoth donkey), Andalusian donkey, Majorcan donkey and Catalan donkeys.

L'Association des Eleveurs des races Equine, Mulassiere et Asine, Baudet du Poitou is the registering body for the Poitou donkey.

A purebred Poitou has a more massive bone structure and a larger foot than a part-bred animal, but the shaggy coat is such a dominant trait that even a 1/8 Poitou donkey may resemble a pure-bred.

L'association nationale des races mulassières du Poitou manages the studbook for the Poitevin horse, the Poitou donkey and the Poitou mule, and is recognized by the French Ministry of Agriculture.

Donkey (Equus asinus)

Traditionally, the scientific name for the donkey is Equus asinus asinus based on the principle of priority used for scientific names of animals.

In their book Donkey: The Mystique of Equus Asinus, Tobias and Morrison examined donkeys through an interdisciplinary ecological approach.

Both horses and donkeys belong to the genus Equus, but Equus caballus has 64 chromosomes, while Equus asinus only has 62.

Feral donkeys in Australia (and elsewhere) are donkeys (scientific name Equus asinus) which escaped from captivity, and are living and breeding in the wild.

This means that the proper scientific name for the donkey is Equus africanus asinus when it is considered a subspecies, and Equus asinus when it is considered a species.

They were hunted in Syria, Anatolia, Mesopotamia, Iran, and Central Asia; and domesticated asses (Equus asinus) were imported into Mesopotamia, probably from Egypt, but wild horses apparently did not live there.

A Map With around 3000 donkeys active on Lamu, Equus asinus is still the main form of transport here, and this sanctuary was established by the International Donkey Protection Trust of Sidmouth, UK, to improve the lot of the island's hard-working beasts of burden.