🌿Native Nature

Donkey

Equus asinus

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia ›Phylum: Chordata ›Class: Mammalia ›Order: Perissodactyla ›Family: Equidae ›Genus: Equus

About

The donkey or ass (Equus africanus asinus) is a domesticated member of the horse family, Equidae. The wild ancestor of the donkey is the African wild ass, E. africanus. The donkey has been used as a working animal for at least 5000 years. There are more than 40 million donkeys in the world, mostly in underdeveloped countries, where they are used principally as draught or pack animals. Working donkeys are often associated with those living at...

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the scientific name of Donkey?
The scientific name of Donkey is Equus asinus.
What kingdom does Donkey belong to?
Donkey belongs to the kingdom Animalia.
What phylum does Donkey belong to?
Donkey belongs to the phylum Chordata.
What class does Donkey belong to?
Donkey belongs to the class Mammalia.
What order does Donkey belong to?
Donkey belongs to the order Perissodactyla.
What family does Donkey belong to?
Donkey belongs to the family Equidae.
What genus does Donkey belong to?
Donkey belongs to the genus Equus.

In the News

Drought reshapes livelihoods of Kenya’s Daasanach pastoralists, study finds

The Daasanach people in the Turkana Basin of northern Kenya experienced the worst drought in 40 years between November 2020 and March 2023. The Daasanach are pastoralists who have lived semi-nomadically for roughly 6,000 years, supported by herds of livestock including cows, camels, donkeys, and goats. A group of researchers worked with the Daasanach to […]

Mongabay · 11/10/2026

‘It’s really, really unusual’: tender bond between male donkey and bull baffles scientists

Patroclo and Achille’s interspecies affair sheds new light on social and sexual relations between animals, scientists say In ancient myth, Achilles and Patroclus were two Greek heroes of the Trojan war whose intense bond was believed by some to have turned into a sexual relationship. In modern science, they are a bull, Achille, and a donkey, Patroclo, whose tender interspecies affair has helped to shed new light on social and sexual interactions between animals. Continue reading...

The Guardian Environment · 11/2/2026