Species Description
The feral horse, Equus caballus, is morphologically similar to the domestic horse, standing an average of 1 - 1.6 m high at the shoulder and weighing 350 - 450 kg. General appearance is variable, including coat colour that ranges from black, brown, tan and white to white with patches of orange or brown. Coat hairs are short and fine, tail is relatively short and there is hair present on the forehead (forelock) and along the neck (mane). The average lifespan of E. caballus is 25 - 30 years. (Csurhes et al. 2009).
Habitat Description
While preferred habitat is open grasslands, Equus caballus has been also known to invade desert, semi-desert plains, coastal areas, subalpine regions, tropical savannah grasslands, forests, scrublands and wetlands.
Principal source: Csurhes, Steve; Gina Paroz and Anna Markula, 2009. Pest animal risk assessment Feral horse Equus caballus Biosecurity Queensland Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation
Compiler: IUCN SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) with support from the Overseas Territories Environmental Programme (OTEP) project XOT603, a joint project with the Cayman Islands Government - Department of Environment
Review:
Publication date: 2010-06-08
Recommended citation: Global Invasive Species Database (2024) Species profile: Equus caballus. Downloaded from http://www.iucngisd.org/gisd/species.php?sc=1632 on 08-12-2024.