Is the miniature donkey a real breed or just the result of breeding for small size?
All donkeys are the same breed and from the same root ancestors of Nubian and Somalian asses. Miniature, standard, and mammoth are just size distinctions. Miniatures were created by breeding down in size over many generations to create a small donkey that could work in mines and who could carry pack loads under tree limbs. Mammoths were created by breeding up in size over many generations to create a large draft donkey for pulling dray wagons and towing barges. Terms like Mediterranean, Sardinian, Andalusian, Maltese, Majorcan, Poitou, Du Berry, and Iberian identify the region where a particular donkey came from or where his ancestors came from, but they are not different breeds. Breed characteristics relate to donkeys from certain regions had a heavier or lighter hair coat, longer or shorter ears, higher-set or lower-set eyes, heavier or lighter bone, but the structure and proportion of all donkeys is the same regardless of their size. For more information, please go to ADMS: http://w