Plumpton Park Zoo · Rising Sun, Maryland
Sicilian Donkey
Equus asinus
Long ears, a memorable bray and a curious nature. Discover Sicilian donkeys at Plumpton Park Zoo in Rising Sun, Maryland.
Animal groupDomestic equid
DietHerbivore
CallBray
YoungFoal
Field guide
Sicilian Donkey at Plumpton Park Zoo
Sicilian donkeys, more commonly known as miniature donkeys, come from the Mediterranean islands of Sicily and Sardinia. Throughout the world, these hardy animals carry people and goods and pull carts. They mature early, ready to work by the age of 3. Because they evolved in a harsh, dry environment, they don’t require much food. There are over 180 breeds of domesticated donkey. Donkeys have a notorious reputation for stubbornness, but this is actually attributed to a much stronger sense of self-preservation than that exhibited by horses. Donkeys are quite intelligent, cautious, friendly, playful, and often eager to learn.
Donkey coats can be gray, brown, black, red (or sorrel), spotted and a rarer solid white color called frosted spotted white. Most donkeys have white around their eyes and muzzle and on their underside.
Donkeys are highly social animals that bond closely with their herd — including, often, with other species like goats or horses — and can become anxious or stressed when kept in isolation. Their loud, distinctive bray can carry up to about 2 miles (3 km), which they use to stay in contact with their herd across long distances. Though small, miniature donkeys are remarkably strong for their size, a trait bred into them over centuries as sturdy, good-natured working and companion animals. Meet Max, Nippy and Winnie, our Sicilian donkeys, at Plumpton Park Zoo — plan your visit.
The Sicilian donkey name connects this small domestic animal with the Mediterranean islands of Sicily and Sardinia. Miniature donkeys share the domestic donkey’s long ears, upright mane and tufted tail, while being much shorter than many other donkey types.
Size should be measured at the shoulder, or withers, rather than to the tips of the ears.
Miniature donkeys came to America thanks to a New York stockbroker. In 1929, Robert Green brought seven small donkeys from Sardinia to his farm in New Jersey, and the first miniature donkey born in the United States was a foal named Christopher Columbus. Green said they had “the affectionate nature of a Newfoundland.”
Sources: Oklahoma State University, Breeds of Livestock; The Livestock Conservancy; Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness; Animal Diversity Web (University of Michigan); Mammal Diversity Database.
For teachers and homeschool families
Print our free two-page Sicilian Donkey fact sheet: fast facts, words to know, discussion questions and a drawing activity. Teachers may copy and share it freely as long as they credit Plumpton Park Zoo.
A Sicilian donkey at Plumpton Park Zoo.
At a glance
Sicilian Donkey fast facts
Scientific nameEquus asinus
TypeMiniature donkey
GroupHerd
StatusDomesticated
At a glance
Size: 26 – 36 inches height
Weight: 250 – 450 lbs
Lifespan: 30 – 35 years with good care.
DOMESTICATED
The breed standard caps a mature miniature donkey at 36 inches at the withers.
Sources: Oklahoma State University, Breeds of Livestock; Animal Diversity Web (University of Michigan); Mammal Diversity Database.
36
inches: the miniature height ceiling
Small size, familiar donkey features
Miniature is a size category, not a young age. An adult miniature donkey remains small; it does not have to grow into a standard-sized donkey. The breed standard, not age, sets the limit: a mature miniature donkey must stand no taller than 36 inches at the withers.
Notice how the animal’s proportions differ from a pony. Donkeys have conspicuously long ears and a tail ending in a tuft.
Sources: Oklahoma State University, Breeds of Livestock; Animal Diversity Web (University of Michigan).
Behavior
Caution, communication and companionship
Donkeys are attentive to unfamiliar situations. What people call stubbornness may be a pause to assess something that appears threatening. Animal Diversity Web describes investigation before a reaction and communication through body movement, sounds and contact.
The ears can move to track sounds, and their positions contribute to body language. Watch both ears and the rest of the animal rather than interpreting one movement alone. Donkeys form social bonds, so proximity and interaction are also worth observing. A brief visit can offer clues without explaining an animal’s whole history.
Sources: Animal Diversity Web (University of Michigan); Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness.
On the menu
What sicilian donkeys eat
Donkeys eat grain, hay, and grass.
Donkeys are grazing herbivores with teeth suited to processing plants. They use hindgut fermentation, with microbes helping digest fibrous food farther along the digestive tract. Unlike cattle and sheep, donkeys do not chew cud.
Donkeys thrive on coarser pasture than horses need. Rich, lush grass can make them overweight and lead to hoof trouble such as laminitis.
Sources: Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness; Zhang et al., Frontiers in Microbiology (2022).
Family life
Jacks, jennets and foals
A male donkey is a jack, a female is a jennet or jenny, and a young donkey is a foal. Pregnancy usually lasts about a year. The foal can stand and nurse soon after birth, relying on its mother’s milk during early life.
For a family-life lesson, list the actions of the youngster and the care supplied by the parent. Standing and following use the foal’s own body structures; milk comes from the mother.
Sources: Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness; Animal Diversity Web (University of Michigan).
Compare animals
Three animals with long ears and legs
Donkey
An equid with a tufted tail; young are foals.
Llama
A South American camelid; young are cria.
Alpaca
Another camelid, known for its fiber.
A donkey and a llama may share a long-legged outline, but they belong to different families. The same food category does not make animals close relatives.
Sources: Animal Diversity Web (University of Michigan); Animal Diversity Web: llama; Mammal Diversity Database.
Conservation
Sicilian Donkey conservation
Domestic animal
Domestic donkeys live in a long-standing relationship with people. Their welfare and the preservation of domestic types are different questions from the conservation status of their wild relatives. The Mammal Diversity Database recognizes the domestic donkey as Equus asinus.
That distinction helps children read conservation labels carefully. A familiar farm animal is not automatically an endangered wild species, and a wild relative’s category should not be copied onto a domestic type. Learning names, histories and everyday needs is a practical beginning for responsible care and an informed zoo visit.
Sources: Mammal Diversity Database; Animal Diversity Web (University of Michigan).
Support
Help care for our sicilian donkeys & the animals of Plumpton Park
As a nonprofit zoo, Plumpton Park Zoo relies on admissions, memberships and the generosity of people who believe in what we do. Donations help support animal care, veterinary services, nutritious diets, enrichment, habitat improvements and the continued development of the zoo.
Plumpton Park Zoological Gardens, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Donations support the zoo’s charitable mission and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.
Frequently asked questions about sicilian donkeys
Are miniature donkeys babies?
No. Miniature describes small adult size, not age.
What is a baby donkey called?
A baby donkey is a foal, which nurses from its mother.
What is a male donkey called?
A male is a jack. A female is a jennet or jenny.
Do donkeys chew cud?
No. Donkeys use hindgut fermentation rather than ruminating like cattle.
What sound does a donkey make?
A donkey’s distinctive call is a bray.
Where can I see sicilian donkeys in Maryland?
Visit Plumpton Park Zoo in Rising Sun, Maryland. Check Hours and Tickets before your visit.
Sources: Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness; Animal Diversity Web (University of Michigan); Zhang et al., Frontiers in Microbiology (2022).
See sicilian donkeys at Plumpton Park Zoo
Plan your visit to Rising Sun, Maryland. Keep learning in the Animal Learning Center, and discover giraffe feeding.