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Ass
           
                        ASS, common name for a hoofed,
                        herbivorous mammal of the genus Equus,
                        of the family Equidae, which includes
                        also the horse and the zebra. The
                        domestic ass, commonly known as the
                        donkey, was probably derived from two
                        wild species, E. africanus and E.
                        somalicus, both native to Africa and
                        sometimes classified as constituting the
                        subgenus Asinus. Smaller than the
                        horse, the donkey and the wild African
                        ass stand about 1.4 m (about 4.5 ft) high
                        at the shoulder. They have very long ears, a gray coat with white underparts and
                        muzzle, a short, erect mane, and a tail with a tuft of long hair at the tip. The ass
                        was domesticated by the Egyptians about 3000 BC; it is more surefooted than the
                        horse, which makes it better on mountain trails. It also lives longer than the horse,
                        generally from 25 to 50 years. The wild ass runs swiftly, attaining speeds of up to 60
                        km/hr (40 mph). 

                        The Asian wild ass, E. hemionus, which lives in the desert regions of Mongolia, is
                        somewhat smaller than the African species, has much smaller ears, and is usually
                        reddish-brown in color. It moves very quickly, maintaining a pace of about 24 km/hr
                        (about 15 mph) for as long as two hours. The kiang, E. kiang, the largest of the wild
                        asses of Asia, lives on the high plateaus of Tibet. The onager, E. onager, known
                        also as the Persian wild ass, is a smaller, fleet animal with a rich yellow-brown
                        coat. It ranges over the desert from Iran and Syria eastward to India.