Wild donkeys and horses engineer water holes that help other species

Water drives the rhythms of desert life, but animals aren’t always helpless against the whims of weather.

In the American southwest, wild donkeys and horses often dig into the dusty sediment to reach cool, crystal clear groundwater to quench their thirst. New research shows this equid ingenuity has far reaching benefits for the ecosystem.

Equid wells can act as desert oases, providing a major source of water during dry times that benefits a whole host of desert animals and keystone trees, researchers report in the April 30 Science.

Introduced to North America in the past five hundred years or so, wild donkeys and horses are often cast as villains

→ Continue reading at Science News

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