Mammals · Perissodactyla · Equidae
Asiatic Wild Ass
Equus hemionus
It could become endangered in the near future if current threats go unchecked. See full glossary
It can reach 70 km/h, making it one of the fastest wild equids in the world. Unlike other polygynous equids, it tends to form stable monogamous pairs.
Weight
230 kg on average
Size
2 m – 2.6 m
Lifespan
6 years
Diet
Herbivore
Feeds mainly on plants.
Activity
Diurnal
Active mainly during the day.
Social structure
In pairs
Usually lives in pairs, sometimes for life.
Sighting difficulty
Moderate
Fun facts
- It can reach 70 km/h, one of the fastest wild equids in the world.
- It tends to form stable monogamous pairs, unlike other equids.
- Its wild population has fallen by 52% in 16 years.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
- Habitat & environment
- Steppe, semi-desert and arid plains of Central Asia, Mongolia and the Indian subcontinent
- Birth weight
- Exact weight not found as a precise figure
- Size at birth
- Precocial, able to run soon after birth, as all equids are
- Sexual maturity
- Female: ~3 years | Male: ~3-4 years (though a first successful birth is delayed to 5 in some populations)
- Gestation / incubation
- 11-12 months (339 days)
- Litter / clutch size
- 1 young, with more than a year between births
- Lifespan in captivity
- Documented record of up to 26-31.6 years in captivity
Sources consulted: AnAge; Animal Diversity Web; IUCN Equid Specialist Group; A-Z Animals; Wikipedia; Animalia.bio; Animal Information
Where to find it
See its range on the interactive mapBest time: All year round on the steppes and semi-deserts of Mongolia, China, Iran and India; in summer it gathers near the few waterholes.
Where to watch it
Parks and dive sites where this species has been documented.
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Asiatic Wild Ass — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Takhi
Equus przewalskii
Near ThreatenedStriped Hyaena
Hyaena hyaena
Near ThreatenedArgali
Ovis ammon
Siberian Ibex
Capra sibirica
Kiang
Equus kiang
Pallas's Pika
Ochotona pallasii
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