Asian Wild Ass

There are altogether five subspecies of the Asian Wild Ass. All of them can be found in Central Asia. There it inhabits deserts and steppes. It has got bright brown colour with white belly and black stripe on the back. It is approximately 2.6 meters long (over 8 feet) with a tail of 40 cm (16 inches). Its height is 1.2 meters (4 feet). It is an agile mammal with the weight of 250 kg (550 pounds). In comparison to a horse its legs are short and feet are small. Equus hemionus usually lives in small groups however sometimes it is seen in a herd of 50 animals. In comparison to other asses or horses, the Asian wild ass is the best runner! It can reach the speed of 70 km per hour (45 mph). The ass is a vegetarian and feeds on grass, bark etc. The mating occurs from April till October with the gestation period of 11 months. One offspring is born. Nowadays the Wild Asian Ass belongs to endangered species for two main reasons. Firstly it is hunted by poachers because of fur and meat. Secondly its habitat is getting smaller.