Sheep
Ovis aries
Conservation Status
Data DeficientMammalia · Artiodactyla · Bovidae
About
Sheep or domestic sheep are a domesticated, ruminant mammal typically kept as livestock. Although the term sheep can apply to other species in the genus Ovis, in everyday usage it almost always refers to domesticated sheep. Like all ruminants, sheep are members of the order Artiodactyla, the even-toed ungulates. There are around 1.2 billion domestic sheep as of 2019, making them easily the most common species of sheep. An adult female is referred to as a ewe ; an intact male as a ram, occasionally a tup; a castrated male as a wether; and a young sheep as a lamb.
Fun Fact
There is a large lexicon of unique terms for sheep husbandry which vary considerably by region and dialect.
Quick Facts
Habitat
To be updated
Diet
Eat invasives such as cheatgrass, leafy spurge, kudzu and spotted knapweed over native species such as sagebrush, making grazing sheep effective for conservation grazing.
Lifespan
12 years
Threats
- Habitat Change
- Human Disturbance