Donkeys And Mules
Anastasia Kellogg
Mules
• A mule is a hybrid, rather than a species
• A mule is the offspring of a male donkey (jack) and a female horse
• Mules are usually sterile, but there have been a couple of rare cases in which a mare mule produced a foal
Mules
• Mules have 63 chromosomes; horses have 64 and donkeys have 62
• A hinny is the offspring of a male horse and a female donkey (jennet)
• A female mule is called a mare or molly mules
Mules
• A male mule is called a horse or john mule
• In 1787 the Marquis de Lafayette gave George Washington a donkey jack for mule production; named Knight of Malta, he was the first notable donkey to be imported
Mules
• Royal Gift, given by the King of Spain, was the second donkey of quality to be imported
• The U.S. army used mules extensively up to 1957
• Mules are now popular pack and trail riding animals, and are also shown in many disciplines
Mules
• Mules may be any color or conformation type, as inherited from the dam
• American Donkey and Mule Society
Donkeys
• The largest donkey breed is the Mammoth
• The Sicilian, or miniature, donkey is the smallest
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