Onager (their status in China is not well known). Persian onagers are currently being reintroduced in the Middle East as replacements for the extinct Syrian wild ass in the Arabian Peninsula, Israel and Jordan. The specific name is Ancient Greek ἡμίονος ("hēmíonos"), from ἡμι- (hēmi-), half, and ὄνος (ónos), donkey; thus, half-donkey or mule. In Persian the archaic word "gur" preserves the second syllable of the common Indo-European term that includes "ona"/"ono" (donkey) and "ger"/"gur" (swift). The species was commonly known as Asian wild ass, in which case the term "onager" was reserved for the "E. h. onager" subspecies, more specifically
Onager seen feeding on seed pods such as "Prosopis" and breaking up woody vegetation with their hooves to get at more succulent herbs growing at the base of woody plants. During the winter, onagers also eat snow as a substitute for water. When natural water sources are unavailable, the onager digs holes in dry riverbeds to access subsurface water. The water holes dug by the onagers are often subsequently visited by domestic livestock, as well as other wild animals. Water is also found in the plants on which the onagers feed. During spring and summer in Mongolia, the succulent plants of