Nicknamed by Norman farmers the Manche’s grey ‘quéton’, the Cotentin donkey (Equus asinus) has its region of origin in its name, because the Cotentin Peninsula is where it was most widely spread. During the Roman occupation, the region was part of the ‘Pagus Constantiensis’ (County of Coutances), which later became the Cotentin. Formerly, the Cotentin donkeys were mainly used to transport milk jugs between pastures and farms. Appreciated for their robustness and tranquillity, they were able to return to the farm by themselves. At the beginning of the 20th century, there were over 4,000 Cotentin donkeys in the region.