Phenotypic Characterization of the Martina Franca Donkey: An Endangered Italian Donkey Breed

The Martina Franca (MF) donkey breed (Equus asinus) primarily inhabits the rural areas surrounding the homonymous municipality [1]. The objective of this study was to assess the current phenotype through the evaluation of 27 morphologic measurements. [2, 3]. The study was conducted on 73 female and 18 male breeding animals from eight different herds located in central and southern Italy. Statistical analysis was performed to demonstrate statistical differences between males and females, as well as the sexual dimorphism and uniformity of all measurements in both genders. The results demonstrated that the mean of three parameters used for the evaluation of an MF donkey (height at withers, circumference of thorax, and shin circumference) are highly representative of the population, with minimal dispersion (C_v ) ̂ = 0.05–0.06 up to a maximum of 10%, as evidenced by relatively low standard deviations across observed measurements in both genders. Regarding sexual dimorphism, a statistically significant difference was found between males and females. Upon comparing the measurement averages with those from Montanaro's 1930 study [2], the statistical approach revealed significant variations. Notably, for females, there was a decrease in the width of auditory meatuses, sternum-to-ground distance, knee-to-ground distance, and body weight, while there was an increase in the width between the temporal angles of the eyes, ear length, and thorax width. Conversely, males exhibited increases in trunk length, head length, thorax circumference, and various other measurements, alongside a decrease in sternum-to-ground distance and live weight. In conclusion, our findings suggest that the phenotype of the Martina Franca donkey has been largely preserved over time. While no substantial differences were observed in female donkeys, male breeding stock displayed greater robustness, albeit with a decrease in weight across both sexes.