Onager recognized. The Persian onager was formerly known as "Equus onager", as it was thought to be a distinct species. Onagers are the most horse-like of wild asses. They are short-legged compared to horses, and their coloring varies depending on the season. They are generally reddish-brown in color during the summer, becoming yellowish-brown or grayish-brown in the winter. They have a black stripe bordered in white that extends down the middle of the back. The belly, the rump, and the muzzle are white in most onagers, except for the Mongolian wild ass that has a broad black dorsal stripe bordered with
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