The African wild ass (Equus africanus) is the ancestor of the domestic donkey, and has a similar stocky body shape. The short, smooth coat is a light grey to fawn colour, fading to white on the undersides and legs. Both subspecies have a dark stripe across their back and the Somali wild ass (Equus africanus somalicus) also has horizontally striped legs like those of a zebra. The ears are large and bordered by black whilst the thick, upright mane is also black at the tip.