Mule

:For other uses of the word mule, see mule (disambiguation).

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In its common modern meaning, a mule is the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse. Compare hinny — the offspring of a male horse and a female donkey. The term mule (Latin mulus) was formerly applied to the offspring of any two creatures of different species — in modern usage, a "hybrid".

Related Topics:
Donkey - Horse - Hinny - Latin - Species - Hybrid

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The mule, easier to breed and usually larger in size than a hinny, has monopolised the attention of breeders. The chromosome match-up more often occurs when the jack (male donkey) is the sire and the mare (female horse) is the dam. It has been known for people to let a stallion (male horse) run with a jenny (female donkey) for as long as six years before getting her pregnant. Male mules and hinnies are both sterile, as are almost all female mules and hinnies (see External links). The sterility is attributed to the different number of chromosomes the two species have. Donkeys have 62 chromosomes, while horses have 64.

Related Topics:
Sire - Mare - Dam - Stallion - Jenny - Sterile - External links - Chromosome

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A female mule, called a "molly," has estrus cycles and can carry a fetus, as has occasionally happened naturally but also through embryo transfer. The difficulty is in getting the molly pregnant in the first place.

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