how many teeth do donkeys have?

Hi andylevis,

Thank you for your question.  

I phoned the Southwest Equine Medical & Surgical Center in Scottsdale,
Arizona.  I spoke to the Veterinarian and am happy to report the
answer is:

A Male Donkey will have 42 - 44 teeth.  The variance is related to how
many canines erupt.  Some donkeys will have 2 and some will have 4. 
Genetics generally plays a role in whether they have 2 or 4 canine
teeth.

A Jenny (Female Donkey) will have 36 - 38 teeth.  A very large
percentage of Females won't ever have any canines erupt.

The contact information for SouthWest Equine Medical & Surgical Center   
is:

6001 E. Bell Road
Scottsdale Arizona  85254
480-998-9460



Best regards,
tlspiegel

Hi Andy,

Just a guess. 3 guesses in fact. 40 for a male donkey, 36 for a female
and generally no more than 7 for a swamp donkey.

S7

andylevis --

I am amazed at how difficult it is to find the answer to your question
online.  Maybe silver777 is correct that a donkey's dentition is the
same as that of a horse, but I have not been able to confirm it. 
Desperate, I have emailed "The American School of Equine Dentistry.  I
will let you know if and when I get a response.

markj-ga

andy --

Since it always to have a "second opinion", here's what Dr. Hyde at
The American School of Equine Dentistry had to say in response to my
email:

"There has been a lot of interest in donkey teeth since the Shrek movie!
The answer is the same as horses... 36 usually for females and 40 or 42 or
more if they have "wolf" teeth."

This advice is, of course, is consistent with thspiegel-ga's more
prompt answer, and it adds confirmation that donkeys have the same
dental equipment as horses.


markj-ga

Oh god -- my girlfriend?s right, I?m a donkey.

Thank you markj - it's nice to know my equine vet hospital and your
source agreed.  :)

Best regards,
tlspiegel

Ok guys,

So do I get a Christmas present for being the only one to actually
count the teeth correctly? Near had my hand bitten off twice, but glad
to be of service.

Happy Christmas all,

Phil