Burro Vs Donkey: Difference Between Domesticated Donkeys Revealed!

It is pretty hard to distinguish between a donkey, burro, and horse when they are together.

They look pretty similar in appearance. A horse and a donkey we can separate to a great extent but what about a donkey and a burro?

The scientific name and family of both the donkey and the burro are the same. Both these animals have the scientific name Equus asinus and both are from the family Equidae.

The major difference between these two is that one is spoon-fed and the other one eats on its own. The wild asses we see are generally called burros while the ones that are more domesticated are donkeys.

There is no other major difference between these two breeds. A donkey is a working animal that can pull a cart at a speed of four mph (6.4 kph) but let us learn a bit more about these two animal species known as Equus asinus.

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Is a burro a jackass?

A male donkey is called a jackass. If this bit of knowledge is new to you, then let me ask, are burros similar to jackasses? Well, a burro is simply a small donkey.

Technically a burro is a donkey but male donkeys are called jackasses. So, it wouldn’t be wrong to call your male burro a jackass.

Burro is the Spanish word for donkey. In the debate of burro vs donkey, are there any other great differences between them? Surprisingly, apart from the size, there isn't much difference between these two.

Considering the fact that burros are wild donkeys, there won’t be much difference anyway. A burro is a small, wild donkey and burros are not domesticated donkeys.

Donkeys are wild asses said to have originated from Africa. Donkeys and burros are born when a male donkey and female donkey breed but mules are a different story.

Mules are different from burros or donkeys and are actually smarter than donkeys. Mules experience a growth spurt at the age of four years and will be classed as full-grown by the age of eight to nine years. The term jackass is derived from jack paired with ass.

Jack is the nickname of a male donkey while a female donkey is called a jennie or jennet. So, all burros and donkeys cannot be called jackasses since that term does not include a female donkey/burro.

What is the difference between a donkey and a burro?

If a burro is basically a donkey, why do we have two terms to refer to this species? Is there a reason for using different names for these animals? Burros are donkeys, that’s a fact we are sure of.

Burro is the Spanish word for donkeys, used commonly in Spain and Mexico. This word entered into the English language from Spain and Mexico.

Burro is just another way of saying donkey but this term does seem to have certain specifications too. This animal species when found on the west of the Mississippi River is called burro while in the east, it is called donkey.

Sometimes burros are used to refer to the small donkeys and wild donkeys to distinguish them from the domestic ones.

Miniature donkeys which are smaller than other donkey breeds are also often referred to as burros. Donkeys sleep at night with other farm animals.

This usage is not entirely true, however, since all donkeys can be called burros too. There is no difference in the physical appearance between a burro and a donkey. There is also no difference in the mating process of donkeys and burros. A male donkey and female donkey mate to form donkeys and burros.

There is no need to separately distinguish miniature donkeys as burros. Both these animals are called donkeys anyway. But, if you want to call your donkey a burro, then you can.

Do donkeys mate with burros?

Yes, they do. A burro is a donkey and so donkeys do mate with burros as they are literally the same animal.  The mating process of mules, however, is different from donkeys.

A burro can mate with both horses and donkeys. The size is a major factor in deciding if the breeding is successful.

For example, a large male horse cannot successfully reproduce with a female burro or donkey. The offspring of a burro or donkey with a female horse has a better chance of survival after breeding. Unlike burros and donkeys, a mule is a cross between a male donkey and a female horse.

When a male horse is mated with a female donkey, it is called a hinny. A hinny resembles a donkey in appearance.

A mule is a hybrid donkey and a mule is bigger than a donkey. In contrast, a hinny is smaller than a mule. Mules are safer to ride than a horse due to their hybrid form, but horses do run faster than mules.

We can say that two donkeys make a burro and a burro and a donkey will also mate to form another burro/donkey. Since these names are used for the same breeds, the differences between the family of donkeys/ burros are pretty insignificant.

A burro and donkey are synonyms of the same animal. So there are no issues with both these animals mating with each other. Their offspring will also be a donkey/burro.

Who has the longest lifespan, burro or donkey?

When thinking about the lifespan of a burro and a donkey, you might imagine that since both these animals are basically the same, their lifespan will also be the same. Surprisingly, they actually have a slight difference in lifespan.

The donkeys have a slightly higher chance to live a long life and there is a good reason for this difference.

Donkeys, as you are well aware, are domesticated animals. This means that apart from a few discomforts inside the barn where they live, donkeys are pretty comfortable.

Humans use donkeys as a means of transport. Donkeys usually live in a barn and the environment around them is controlled, however, burros are mostly found in the wild.

They are not domesticated which means that the chance of them being affected by the outside environment is higher. Due to this, they have a slightly lower lifespan.

Donkeys have a lifespan of 40-50 years but burros have a lifespan of 25-30 years. Even if everything else between these two animals is the same, the environment that they live in can cause a great change in the lifespan of the animals.

Those in the wild are always at a disadvantage compared to the animals safe in the backyard. The domesticated ones are well fed and do not need to worry about their food but for the wild ones, that is not always the case.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for burro Vs donkey: difference between domesticated donkeys revealed! then why not take a look at chameleon species: curious kids facts on types of chameleon explained!, or average lifespan of a horse: fascinating facts on horse's age revealed.