The burro is a Spanish word which we use in the English language to refer to a wild donkey. There are many brilliant organizations out there which take care of these wild donkeys, especially when they roam into lands which are not their natural habitat. Places like the International Society for the Protection of Mustangs and Burros do fantastic work in keeping these little guys safe from harm and back in their healthy environments. There is much more than meets the eye when it comes to these creatures, and here are some of your most commonly asked questions answered.
How Tall is a Burro?
The smallest donkey or burro on the planet is the miniature donkey which is just 92cm tall, measured from hoof to head. The average height of a wild donkey – or burro – is 125cm. The heigh of a burro depends greatly on how much human interaction they have seen, and whether they have lived somewhere which would be considered as their natural habitat.
Which Are The Best Habitats For Wild Donkey?
Wild donkeys are native to areas of the Earth like Africa, The Middle East and the Arabian Peninsula, as well as dry North American countries such as Mexico. The reason why many burros are found in states like Texas is that they roam there from the northern tip of Mexico, usually after breaking out of a ranch. These donkeys thrive in drier lands and savannahs.
What Do Burros Eat?
Typically a burro will eat nothing but grass, although we do occasionally see them feed on shrubs when there is no grass available. Wild donkeys will pull the grass away with their lips and then grind it down in their mouths with their teeth. This strategy makes for easier digestion and better gut health. When it comes to how much they eat, burros really can pack the food in. As per the Global Invasive Species Database, burros are able to consume more than 6,000lbs of grass each and every year.
What is a Mule?
You have heard of the term mule before and wonder what it means, this is technically a donkey but there is more than meets the eye. A mule is in fact the offspring of a donkey and a horse, a male donkey and a female horse. This produces a mixture of the two, which are generally the size of horses with the features of a donkey.
How Much Do Burros Weigh?
Once again we can say that the weight of a burro will depend on the life which they have lived, regarding habitat and human interaction. With this being said however, we can take an average look at what a typical burro could weigh. Assuming that they have been wild throughout their lives, the average burro weighs in the region of 551 lbs or 250 kilograms.
Any more questions you have, don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments.