The Persian onager (Equus hemionus onager), also called the Persian wild ass or Persian zebra, is a subspecies of onager (Asiatic wild ass) native to Iran. It is listed as Critically Endangered, with no more than 600 individuals left in the wild. The Persian onager is slightly smaller with a paler coat than other wild asses. It has a pale, sandy-red colored coat with a light brown dorsal stripe. The dorsal stripe has two surrounding white strips that blend into the paler hind quarters. In addition to the dorsal stripe, onagers also have a shoulder stripe. They have a short brown mane that is 2 to 3 inches tall and stands up straight. Their tails are shorter than horses with only a small tuft of hair at the end. The flanks, back and underside of onagers are white. In the winter, the coat grows longer, turns grayer and the white areas become more defined. Males and females differ only slightly outwardly, with males being only slightly larger. Male Persian onagers stand around 4.9 feet (1.5 meters) tall at the shoulder and are about 6.5 feet (2 meters) long. They weigh about 440 to 575 pounds (200 to 260 kilograms). Females are just slightly smaller than males.
Onagers are known to inhabit mountain steppes, semi-desert or desert plains from Mongolia to Saudi Arabia and as far north as southern Russia and Kazakhstan. Some also inhabit northwestern India and Tibet. They have been reintroduced in Mongolia and Iran. However, this particular subspecies is found in Iran’s semi-desert habitat. These barren deserts are a harsh environment and receive very little rainfall each year. The Persian onager’ s population is estimated to be between 600 and 700 individuals living in two protected habitats in Iran. The largest population of Persian onagers is found in Turan National Park in Semnan. The lifespan of an onager in the wild is undocumented but is reported to be approximately 40 years.
