Why donkeys are better suited to deserts<\/h2>
Domesticated donkeys are descendants of the\u00a0African Wild Ass,\u00a0whose\u00a0natural environments are\u00a0the\u00a0hot, dry\u00a0semi-desert\u00a0and mountainous\u00a0climates\u00a0of Africa and the Middle East – not the damp British weather.\u00a0<\/p>
Clues hinting towards\u00a0their\u00a0desert\u00a0ancestry\u00a0may\u00a0be\u00a0seen\u00a0from their coats and hair density, which\u00a0has different properties to that of the UK\u2019s\u00a0native horse and pony breeds<\/a>\u00a0who are better adapted to colder, grassy, open landscapes.\u00a0<\/p> Domesticated donkeys come in various shapes, sizes,\u00a0coat\u00a0colours,\u00a0and\u00a0hair lengths;\u00a0their\u00a0coat\u00a0can feel quite\u00a0dry\u00a0and coarse\u00a0to\u00a0the\u00a0touch,\u00a0and it\u00a0is\u00a0for this reason that it is believed\u00a0that donkeys have less oil in their coat\u00a0compared to horses and ponies.<\/p> Whilst the coats of horses repel\u00a0rain, donkey coats\u00a0are\u00a0not\u00a0thought to\u00a0share this evolutionary advantage.\u00a0<\/p> According to\u00a0Proops et al\u00a02019\u00a0\u2018Their single coat layer is not thought to contain waterproof lanolin oil- although this has not been systematically\u00a0tested<\/em>\u2019.\u00a0<\/a><\/p> Studies\u00a0do\u00a0show, however\u00a0that coat density changes are not as\u00a0distinct in donkeys compared to ponies\u00a0and they do not grow a significantly thicker coat\u00a0during the winter\u00a0in the UK.\u00a0<\/p> Hair growth is controlled by daylight and temperature, which results in seasonal shedding, in horses this typically happens during\u00a0the early spring,\u00a0whereas donkeys\u00a0moult\u00a0much later in the year\u00a0and for a shorter\u00a0period.\u00a0<\/p> Donkey manes and tails are also visibly different to that of a\u00a0native\u00a0pony, and\u00a0mule tails typically are between the two extremities of their parents.<\/p> A donkey tail is much thinner and is an effective fly swatter, whereas our native ponies\u00a0have\u00a0tails that are\u00a0much\u00a0thicker and fuller\u00a0at the tail head, providing protection from the\u00a0driving\u00a0wind and rain.\u00a0In bad weather, horses will tend to\u00a0turn their hindquarters into the wind and clamp their tails\u00a0to\u00a0retain\u00a0heat.<\/p> Donkeys\u00a0will however,\u00a0head for shelter,\u00a0a behavioural strategy for dealing with inclement weather.\u00a0They\u00a0do not\u00a0necessarily\u00a0need to be rugged to provide protection from the elements unless they are elderly or sick.\u00a0<\/p> Instead, a\u00a0well-constructed\u00a0waterproof\u00a0shelter and\u00a0hardstanding\u00a0so that they can\u00a0get out of the elements\u00a0effectively at free will\u00a0allows them to seek shelter\u00a0as needed, without\u00a0restricting\u00a0their\u00a0choices which often\u00a0leads\u00a0to boredom.\u00a0<\/p> Hard standing\u00a0is\u00a0also an\u00a0important\u00a0consideration for donkeys specifically,\u00a0since\u00a0another desert adaption is\u00a0for\u00a0their hooves\u00a0to\u00a0draw in environmental moisture, another\u00a0reason why wet conditions can be so problematic\u00a0for donkeys.\u00a0<\/p> Although,\u00a0donkeys are adapted to\u00a0thrive in warm climates,\u00a0domesticated donkeys are not immune to\u00a0the risks of\u00a0heat in the UK. The fluctuating temperatures\u00a0between mild to extremely hot weather\u00a0can be difficult for\u00a0donkeys\u00a0to\u00a0cope with, which further illustrates the importance of\u00a0free access to\u00a0shelter for shade.<\/p>Why donkeys need shelter<\/h2>
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<\/figure>Learn more fascinating donkey facts<\/strong><\/h2>