Talk:Mule

All entries in the Public Domain, such as this factual update about “Army Mules,” must be reviewed and approved by the West Point Public Affairs Officer, who can be reached via www.usma.edu. There have been newer Mule Mascots donated to West Point in subsequent years, after the 2016 humorous induction of “Paladin” in the courtyard of the West Point Headquarters building. That “April Fools” donation was made to Lieutenant General Robert Caslen by Steve Townes, Caslen’s 1975 USMA classmate, with Paladin reporting to Ranger “III” like a Plebe Cadet. Subsequently Ranger “IV” was donated by Townes in 2022, including a television acceptance ceremony at a home football game in Oct. 2023 to Commandant of Cadets Brigadier General Lori Robinson. In August 2026 the latest mule in the perpetual Townes charitable legacy was donated—HER official name is Ranger “V”. She is the first “golden”mule in the academy’s mule mascots lineage since the 1899 start of the traditional mascots. Her almost-blonde coat is called by equestrians as “dunskin.” The first and only female mule Mascot before Ranger “V” was “Buckshot,” who was ridden by cadet mule rider Steve Townes in the early 1970’s. The mule mascots tradition for West Point is guaranteed by Steve Townes’s permanent endowment.Townes is the CEO & Founder since 1997 of Ranger Aerospace, a large aviation services and aerospace manufacturing acquirer and consolidator. edit suggestions offered by Steve Townes, the Mule Donor, West Point class of 1975

photo caption “Mule cars in Celaya, Guanajuato, Mexico, 1930s”

“Aproximadamente en los años 30's” in the Wikimedia page, but that's a 1948 Chevy at the right side of the photo. I don't know how to comment on W’media pages or what would be appropriate here. Snigblitz (talk) 00:09, 6 October 2024 (UTC)

Wiki Education assignment: BIOL 412 HONORS

This article was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation–supported course assignment, between 24 January 2025 and 25 April 2025. Further details are available on the course page. Student editor(s): Biol412edit (article contribs). Peer reviewers: Alexys Kwong, Hartman1217, Jfm1105, Annasnags2025.

— Assignment last updated by Annasnags2025 (talk) 02:52, 24 February 2025 (UTC)

We need better images

Per MOS:IMAGES, the images need to be relevant, illustrative, educational, of high quality, etc. The gallery contains far too many images where the mules are tiny unrecognizable blips in some vast landscape. We need better images. Here are some examples of images that could be used:

• a military pack mule
• a mule foal
• a pack mule on lead
• pair of mules pulling a wagon
• a mule plowing
• a draft horse mule
• a mule doing barrel racing
• a mule doing dressage

Every single one of these photos is a better illustration of mules than every single photo in the current gallery. These are contemporary photographs, in color, with a mule front and center and highly visible in each photograph. There are hundreds of wonderful photos in WikiCommons. Almost any of them would be better than the current selection.   ▶ I am Grorp ◀ 06:08, 17 March 2025 (UTC)

I think the cover image should be changed

I think the cover image should be changed to a different photo of a mule. The grey mule image is unusually horse-like to the point that it does not accurately represent the appearance of the majority of mule hybrids, and is an outlier. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Dottolabs (talk • contribs) 21:46, 24 January 2023 (UTC)

I agree. The main photo should select a more typical-colored mule (brown with light points visible), and should be a broadside image showing typical mule conformation, if we can find one like that. Something closer to this one, though hopefully in color. Or this one of a mule, if only it was a full broadside view—though this would be a better choice for the primary image, over the current white mule behind a gate with his hindquarters in the dark.   ▶ I am Grorp ◀ 06:08, 17 March 2025 (UTC)

Its odd number of chromosomes ...

I think the infertility has nothing to do with the parity. Even a imaginary chromosome composition of 32+32 would of no help since there are no homologous chromosomes at all. The genomes of the two parent animals are too different, so there's no such thing as a pair of chromosomes for mules. 129.104.244.86 (talk) 23:02, 2 June 2025 (UTC)

Got a source for that? --jpgordon^{𝄢𝄆𝄐𝄇} 02:44, 3 June 2025 (UTC)

Ah sorry, perhaps I was wrong. I noticed the sentences

$\bullet$ Male ligers are consequently sterile, while female ligers are not.

$\bullet$ Like the liger, male tigons are sterile while the females are fertile.

So both parents having the same number of chromosomes (38 in this case) would indeed help: only one sex is sterile. 129.104.244.86 (talk) 08:27, 3 June 2025 (UTC)

I don't know if you were right or wrong. Do you have a source for "no such thing as a pair of chromosomes for mules"? --jpgordon^{𝄢𝄆𝄐𝄇} 13:20, 3 June 2025 (UTC)