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Sheep are fairly small compared to other ungulates; in most species, adults weigh less than 100 kg (220 lb). [2] Males are usually heavier than females by a significant amount. Wild sheep are mostly found in hilly or mountainous habitats. Their diets consist mainly of grasses, as well as other plants and lichens.
The exact line of descent from wild ancestors to domestic sheep is unclear. [2] The most common hypothesis states that Ovis aries is descended from the Asiatic (O. gmelini) species of mouflon; the European mouflon (Ovis aries musimon) is a direct descendant of this population. [3]
Another effect of the westward movement of sheep flocks in North America was the decline of wild species such as Bighorn sheep (O. canadensis). Most diseases of domestic sheep are transmittable to wild ovines, and such diseases, along with overgrazing and habitat loss, are named as primary factors in the plummeting numbers of wild sheep. [43]
The bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) [6] is a species of sheep native to North America. [7] It is named for its large horns. A pair of horns may weigh up to 14 kg (30 lb); [8] the sheep typically weigh up to 143 kg (315 lb). [9] Recent genetic testing indicates three distinct subspecies of Ovis canadensis, one of which is endangered: O. c. sierrae.
Four breeds of sheep, in the illustrated encyclopedia Meyers Konversationslexikon. This is a list of breeds of domestic sheep. Domestic sheep (Ovis aries) are partially derived from mouflon (Ovis gmelini) stock, and have diverged sufficiently to be considered a different species. Some sheep breeds have a hair coat and are known as haired sheep.
The name 'argali' is the Mongolian word for wild sheep. [2] It is the largest species of wild sheep. Argali stand 85 to 135 cm (3 to 4 ft) high at the shoulder and measure 136 to 200 cm (4 to 7 ft) long from the head to the base of the tail.
It is the largest wild sheep species in the world, standing nearly four feet tall, weighing nearly 300 pounds, and growing massive horns that can be as long as 6 feet and weigh upwards of 60 pounds.
The mouflon (Ovis gmelini) is a wild sheep native to Cyprus, and the Caspian region, including eastern Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Iran. [1] It is also found in parts of Europe. It is thought to be the ancestor of all modern domestic sheep breeds. [2] [3]