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The
mouflon sheep lives on the islands of Sardinia, Corsica
and Cyprus. On its native islands it is considered to be
endangered. It is a mountain sheep and a grazer. The
animal does have a voice and warns other sheep by baaing
in different tones. It lives in a grassland biome and
feeds on grass. It does not hibernate. The mouflon sheep
is the mountain sheep that develops a woolly undercoat in
the winter. The sheep does not migrate, but might move
around a little to find more food. It usually lives in
groups of 20-30. The sheep uses its curved horns to
protect itself.
In the summer months
males live away from the females and the young. In late
fall and early winter the males battle for possession of
the females. The dominant males treat the defeated and
lower ranking males as females. The gestation lasts about
5-6 months and from 1-3 lambs are produced in the spring.
The mouflon sheep has been introduced into the mountains
of Hungary,Austria and Czechoslovakia, and it was a
successful experiment. The mouflon stands about 27 in.
tall at the shoulders. It is a reddish brown color, marked
with a dark stripe down its neck and shoulders. |
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Sheep
are even-toed, hoofed animals. They are
cud-chewing animals with the upper
incisor teeth missing and with a
four-compartmented stomach (see Artiodactyl).
They have paired, hollow, unbranched
horns that are not shed. The horns of
the adult male, or ram, are massive and
spirally curved. The horns of the adult
female, or ewe, are short and only
slightly curved.
Sheep
typically have a long, fairly narrow
muzzle and pointed ears. The length of
the head and body averages about 1.5 m
(about 5 ft), with a short tail, and an
adult may weigh 75 to 200 kg (165 to 440
lb). In the wild, the animals are nimble
runners and climbers. The female bears
up to three young after a gestation
period of about 150 days. Sheep live as
long as 20 years.
Besides
providing pelts and wool
for clothing and carpets, meat in the
form of lamb and mutton, and milk for
drinking and cheesemaking, sheep are
used to a limited extent as pack
animals, and the wild species are hunted
as game. Several distinct types and more
than 800 breeds of domesticated sheep
have been developed. The breeds are
adapted to environments that range from
desert to tropical conditions. |
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