The Zonkey

image I believe that I may have a new creature to add to my tall-tale creature gallery: The Zonkey. It's a cross between a zebra and a donkey. Except it's real, so therefore it doesn't actually qualify for entry into the gallery. The zonkey's name is Alex, and he was born on Barbados. And exactly how did he get sired? Well, apparently there were only two zebras on this farm in Barbados, a male and a female. The male got sick, so the female "became friendly with a donkey". The result was Alex, the zonkey. They just had to name him Alex, didn't they. (thanks to Teddy for the link)

Animals

Posted on Thu Apr 28, 2005


Comments

I thought donkeys couldn't reproduce.... or is that mules? I forget 😊
Posted by Tony Pax  on  Fri Apr 29, 2005  at  12:12 PM
Donkeys can mate with wolphins to produce fertile offspring but a tigon that mates with a zonkey will only produce a mule.
Posted by Charybdis  on  Fri Apr 29, 2005  at  12:25 PM
But Alex (the zonkey) is just *so cute*. A co-worker had a question, 'Will he shed the newborn upper hair, and have faint stripes?' Does anyone know?
Posted by stork  on  Fri Apr 29, 2005  at  06:24 PM
Actually, it is a Zebrass, not a Zonkey.
Posted by Greg Cason  on  Fri Apr 29, 2005  at  06:39 PM
Awww Isn't Alex sooo cute. 😉
Posted by Myst  on  Sat Apr 30, 2005  at  12:28 AM
Apparently donkey/zebra hybrids are not that uncommon. I did an image search on Google and found a bunch of them with a variety of names. Some people obviously breed them on purpose; the rest made the news because they came as a surprise to the owners. Most of the latter were mistakenly described as the "only one" ever born!
Posted by Jane  on  Sat Apr 30, 2005  at  07:07 AM
Wow, he's like a reverse quagga. 😊 So cute!
Posted by Ponygirl  on  Sat Apr 30, 2005  at  12:07 PM
IIRC, donkeys can reproduce (if you mix a donkey with a horse you get something called a hinny, i think), but mules can't - or rather mostly not. I think something like 1/1000 mules can reproduce.

I'm going off memory here, so my numbers may be off, I just remember asking these questions as we had a burro when were kids and were curious about equine reproduction.
Posted by Winona  on  Sat Apr 30, 2005  at  11:44 PM
If you're Dad's a jackass and your Mom's a horse (insert your own bad joke here), you're a mule.
If it's the other way around (which seems to be a much rarer occurrence), you're a hinny.
Posted by Big Gary C, droning on about animals again,  on  Mon May 02, 2005  at  12:53 PM
No, wait, I mean if your Dad's a horse and your Mom's a donkey (a Jenny), you're a hinny.
Jackasses can't be mothers for the same reason roosters don't lay eggs (with a few possible kinky exceptions).
Posted by Big Gary C, droning on about animals again,  on  Mon May 02, 2005  at  12:56 PM
I've seen a real live zonkey. It was adorable.
Posted by lilad  on  Mon May 09, 2005  at  09:53 AM
Can a Zonkey reproduce another Zonkey?
Posted by Lauren  on  Mon May 16, 2005  at  07:35 AM
One day I was out booze cruising with friends and I saw some zebras and donkeys in the same pen. Then I saw the zonkey. I think there was two. I thought I was really drunk, but my friends saw them too. I even took a picture. Far out dude.
Posted by Schneider  on  Sun Aug 28, 2005  at  02:40 PM
this is the cutest animal ever ♥
Posted by 142114  on  Sat Mar 31, 2007  at  06:25 PM
this is sooooooo amazing
Posted by allie cosett  on  Mon Nov 19, 2007  at  01:58 PM
There are actully 3 names, zorse, zonkey, and zebrass. 😛
Posted by Aleashea  on  Tue Nov 20, 2007  at  07:15 PM
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