Mules and donkeys may have similar looks, but, in reality, they are totally different.A mule is way more muscular than a donkey. Both mules and donkeys belong to the family Equidae and genus Equus.Mules are normally used for riding purposes while donkeys are used for both riding and the transportation of goods. Donkeys are actually descendants of African wild ass and mules are actually hybrid animals who are obtained by breeding a male donkey with a female horse. Due to this uneven cross, mules become sterile in nature. There are a lot of other differences between a mule and a donkey. Read the whole article to find out!If you like reading fun facts then you may also like our facts on the difference between a frog and a toad and the difference between a leopard and a jaguar.What is a mule?A lot of people are confused as to which one is a mule and which one is a donkey. Though a donkey and a mule are related species, they have striking differences that indicate their identity. Donkeys can be both wild and domestic but mules are mostly a domesticated animal species. Mules are mostly used for riding purposes.As stated, mules are mostly domesticated animals. This is because mules are the offspring of horses and donkeys. In order to attain both the qualities of donkeys and horses, mules are bred by their owners. A mule is born when a female horse, also known as a mare, is bred with a male donkey, also known as a jack. A hinny is born when a male horse or stallion breeds with a female donkey. Mules are obtained only when a male donkey and female horse are bred because two mules can never breed with each other for reproduction as mules are generally born sterile. Mules are mainly used for riding as they look more like horses than a donkey. Mules are mammals in the order Perissodactyla, family Equidae, tribe Equini and genus Equus. Mules and donkeys have somewhat similar behavior. Mules are normally brown to gray in color. They have a short mane, long ears like donkeys and long-tail hair like a horse. They typically have stronger hooves than horses which makes them perfect for hill climbing and carrying people around.What are the physical differences?Both donkeys and mules are in the family Equidae and genus Equus. Mules are animals who have physical features related to both donkeys and horses as they are a cross between a male donkey and a female horse. Mules have similarities when compared to donkeys but, at the same time, have differences that can be used to tell them apart. One of the biggest differences between a mule and a donkey is that a donkey is smaller than a mule in size. Mules tend to have less-hard bones than donkeys.People get confused between donkeys and mules because of their similarities. But that doesn’t mean they are the same animals. They do have typically related features but at the same time have multiple differences as well. Donkeys are more stubborn and less intelligent in nature while mules are their complete opposite, as they are more intelligent and less stubborn. Mules carry people from place to place while a donkey is used for carrying people and goods from one place to another. Mules are the offspring (a cross) of male donkeys and female horses so they have both horse and donkey characteristics. A mule’s coat is generally brown to gray in color but can also be white at times. Mules are mostly unicolored, while a donkey’s coat can be both unicolored and a mixture of colors from black and brown to gray and white. Mules have larger manes than donkeys but smaller than horses. Mules are generally bigger than donkeys in size. A mule’s body length is around 50-70 in (127-177.8 cm) and its body weight is around 600-1500 lb (272.2-680.4 kg), while a donkey’s body length is around 36-48 in (91.4-121.9 cm) and it has a body weight of around 400-500 lb (181.4-226.8 kg). This proves their physical difference. Both these animals have hooves and long ears but the hooves of mules are a bit stronger than a donkey’s. Mule’s hooves are even stronger than horses’ and because of these strong hooves, mules tend to climb hills faster. Mules also have longer tails than donkeys. There are no such other great physical differences between these animal species. Donkeys, mules and horses are only similar animals. Donkeys and horses can be wild but because a mule is formed after the mating of a horse and donkey under human influence, they are all born tame and domestic. As per records, there are around 44 million donkeys present in the world.Difference In GeneticsMules and hinnies are children of horses and donkeys. When a male horse breed with a female donkey, a hinny is obtained. And when a male donkey mates with a female horse, a mule is obtained. However, the chance of getting a hinny is much lower than the chance of getting a mule. Mules inherit the qualities of both their parents however they cannot reproduce by themselves.Mules cannot reproduce because they are born sterile. This is a sort of genetic disorder. Actually, a horse has 64 chromosomes while a donkey has 62 chromosomes. As a mule is a cross between these two, it naturally has 63 chromosomes which is an uneven division. Because of these uneven chromosomes, their whole reproductive system stays incomplete. Mules may try mating with each other but that won’t create an embryo. Male mules cannot breed. Donkeys, on the other hand, are considered as successors of the African wild ass. But donkeys, descendants of African wild ass, are complete animals and not hybrids like mules.How can you tell them apart?Reading the whole article, you have surely got all the information about mules and donkeys and how they are different and similar. In this section, let’s recall all the points so that we can easily tell them apart. Firstly, a mule is a hybrid animal that is actually a cross between a male donkey and a female horse. Though it is rare, a hinny is born when a male horse mates with a female donkey.Mules and donkeys have several similarities such as both having elongated mouths with long ears. Both have a long and strong back for carrying either humans or goods. Both have hooves, manes and an annoying sound. However, mules are bigger than donkeys. Mules tend to have more intelligence than donkeys as donkeys are considered very stubborn. Mules have longer tail hair than donkeys and their hooves are also stronger. Mules have a body-color similar to horses, which is black, white, brown and gray. Mules also have more sense than donkeys. Mules get the advantage over donkeys because they inherit both the qualities of horses and donkeys. Mules are tougher than horses and faster than donkeys. They can pull carts, carry people, carry goods and have low maintenance costs.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for ‘Difference between donkey and mule’ then why not take a look at ‘Difference between rabbit and bunny’ or ‘Mule facts’?
Mules and donkeys may have similar looks, but, in reality, they are totally different.
