Mammals
Somali wild ass
Equus africanus somaliensis
The African wild ass is the most threatened of all wild equids and the ancestor of the domestic donkey. The Somali subspecies (Equus africanus somaliensis) is recognisable by its zebra-like striped legs — the zebras are its close relatives — and lives in the rocky deserts of the Horn of Africa.
from€85,40
In short
The somali wild ass (Equus africanus somaliensis) is a species with IUCN conservation status CR (Critically endangered). It inhabits the arid and semi-arid bushland and grassland of the Great Rift Valley, a volcanic landscape that drops from over 1,500 m to below sea level, as in the Danakil Depression. Animals in Black offers a fine-art portrait of it on a black background, available as a print on Hahnemühle paper: view the print.
Habitat & conservation
Where does the somali wild ass live?
It inhabits the arid and semi-arid bushland and grassland of the Great Rift Valley, a volcanic landscape that drops from over 1,500 m to below sea level, as in the Danakil Depression. It is adapted to extreme aridity, surviving on very little water by using seasonal pools and the thorny vegetation — acacias, Salvadora — it feeds on. It lives in a fission–fusion society, with often-solitary adults, small groups of females and foals, and stallions that hold vast territories marked with dung piles.
Is the somali wild ass endangered?
The IUCN Red List rates it Critically Endangered (CR) with a decreasing population: an estimated 200 mature individuals remain, in fragmented subpopulations none of which exceeds 50 breeders. The main threats are hunting for meat and traditional uses, competition with livestock for water and grazing, drought, and hybridisation with the domestic donkey.
Facts about the somali wild ass
- Its legs are striped like those of the zebras, its close relatives.
- It is considered the smallest wild equid and the most endangered on Earth.
- It is the wild ancestor of the domestic donkey.
- It survives in deserts topping 45 °C, drawing water from the plants it eats.
Data source: IUCN Red List — Equus africanus (Critically Endangered) · CMS/IUCN Equid Specialist Group
RED List
Conservation status codes
- EX Extinct No individuals survive.
- EW Extinct in the wild Survives only in captivity.
- CR Critically endangered Extremely high risk of extinction.
- EN Endangered Very high risk of extinction.
- VU Vulnerable High risk of extinction.
- NT Near threatened Likely to become threatened soon.
- LC Least concern Low risk of extinction.
- DD Data deficient Not enough data to assess.
- NE Not evaluated Not yet assessed by the IUCN.