We might associate donkeys with Christmas, but new research
from the University of Portsmouth shows the animals prefer hotter periods of
the year.
Donkeys, it seems, love sun and warmth. That's the finding
of the first study to examine the conditions under which healthy (non-working)
donkeys and mules seek shelter in hot, dry climates.
It found that whilst mules would seek shelter from the heat
and insects, donkeys enjoyed the sunshine and warmth for longer.
The research by equine behaviour expert Dr Leanne Proops, at
the University of Portsmouth's Department of Psychology, is published in the
Journal of Applied Animal Behaviour Science.
Dr Proops said: "We found that donkeys are less likely
to seek shelter from the heat and light than mules. The sensitivity of mules to
higher temperatures and sunlight may be due to the geographically different
evolution of horses and donkeys and their adaptations to different climates.
Donkeys are better adapted to arid, hot climates and hence higher sunlight
levels."
"In contrast, horses are more adapted to cold
conditions, and our previous research has shown that donkeys seek shelter far
more often than horses in cold, wet conditions. As a hybrid, mules often
display attributes that are a mixture of both species, such as their winter
hair coat growth. Therefore, it might be expected that mules are less adapted
to conditions of high temperatures and sunlight levels than donkeys, as we
found in this study."
It is known that the effect of heat in the environment
becomes physically challenging for animals once the ambient temperature
surpasses their thermal neutral zone (TNZ). The TNZ is different for every
species. An important method of controlling heat stress from solar radiation is
for an animal to seek shade.
A total of 130 donkeys and mules were studied in two
locations in Southern Spain in a seven-week period during the Summer. In both
locations, researchers recorded the animals need for shade.
All the animals in the study were healthy, had free access
to shelter and were regularly monitored by vets from The Donkey Sanctuary.
Temperatures during the study period ranged from 14 to 37° C and data was
collected between 8am and 4:15pm. For each location outside temperature, wind
speed, light levels, rainfall, insect density and harassment levels were
recorded.
Emily Haddy, PhD student on the project, said: "It has
been very interesting to see the results from this study. Despite what equid
owners may think, it is clear that different equid species have specific needs
and so should be given free access to shelter - there is no 'one size fits
all'."
Dr Faith Burden, Director of Research and Operational
Support at The Donkey Sanctuary and co-author on the paper, points out the
importance of these findings, "The majority of working equids worldwide
are exposed to hot climates and as a consequence may suffer from issues such as
dehydration and heat stress. By establishing the natural shelter seeking
behaviour of healthy donkeys and mules across climates we hope to be able to
inform welfare guidelines and encourage good management of these animals."..
Anyone with any domestic donkeys this Christmas are urged to
keep them warm and dry.
For more details, see:
Shelter
seeking behaviour of healthy donkeys and mules in a hot climate.
Emily Haddy,
Faith Burden, Leanne Proops.
Applied
Animal Behaviour Science (2019) 104898
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2019.104898
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