Details
Equus hemionus
Onager is a swift, slender wild ass of Asian drylands. Hunting, competition with livestock, and loss of water access reduced the range in many areas.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
It inhabits deserts, semideserts, and dry grasslands from Central Asia to the Middle East. Main habitat types in this guide are desert, grassland, mountain.
Typical length 200-250 cm, weight 200 kg-260 kg. Long legs, pale coat, and a dark dorsal stripe give it a lean wild-ass profile.
It is diurnal and a herd-forming species. Herds or small groups range widely through arid landscapes in search of water and forage.
It is herbivorous. Grasses, shrubs, and tough desert plants are grazed or browsed.
Females bear single foals that stand quickly and follow the group.
Declines or fragmentation make monitoring important. Hunting, competition with livestock, and loss of water access reduced the range in many areas.
