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Ovis aries

Linnaeus, 1758

Domestic Sheep

G5Secure Found in 14 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
PS:LEESA Status
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.100199
Element CodeAMALE04030
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassMammalia
OrderArtiodactyla
FamilyBovidae
GenusOvis
USESAPS:LE
Other Common Names
European Mouflon Sheep (EN) Mouflon (EN) Oveja, Borrego (ES) Red Sheep (EN)
Concept Reference
Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder (editors). 1993. Mammal species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference. Second edition. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC. xviii + 1206 pp. Available online at: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/msw/.
Taxonomic Comments
Domestic form of O. gmelini. Grubb (in Wilson and Reeder 1993, 2005) included O. orientalis (Asiatic Mouflon), as well as O. musimon and O. ophion (primitive domestic sheep, now feral), in Ovis aries. Ovis aries has been included in O. ammon (Argali) by some authors, but O. ammon was regarded as a distinct species by Grubb (in Wilson and Reeder 1993, 2005). Ovis aries (O. orientalis) hybridizes with O. vignei in Iran. See Tomich (1986) for information on Ovis aries-O. musimon hybrids in Hawaii.

The genus Ovis has been included in the genus Capra by some authors.
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2016-04-04
Change Date2000-06-15
Range Extent Comments
Southern and eastern Turkey, Armenia, southern Azerbaijan, northern Iraq, and western Iran; domesticated worldwide; primitive domestic populations (mouflon) are feral on Corsica, Cyprus, and Sardinia, introduced from there to Europe, Crimea, U.S. (including Hawaii), Chile, Kerguelen Islands, Tenerife (Canary Islands), St. Kilda and other small islands off the British Isles; improved domestic stock is feral in Norway, Sweden, U.S., islands off the coasts of British Isles and New Zealand, Kerguelen Islands, and probably other oceanic islands (Grubb, in Wilson and Reeder 1993). Few populations of wild sheep remain in Eurasia, but domestic sheep occur worldwide in association with humans. Feral populations are firmly established on Hawaii, principally on Mauna Kea and Hualalai; mainly at 600-3950 m; formerly on other islands and more widespread on Hawaii (Tomich 1986); mouflon ("OVIS MUSIMON") occur on western Lanai and on the Big Island (Hawaii) on Mauna Loa and among other feral sheep on Mana Kea (Tomich 1986).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Mouflon in Hawaiian Islands: rugged ridges and gullies sloping westward to sea on Lanai; in scrub habitat at 1200-2400 m on Mauna Loa (Tomich 1986).

Ecology

Population on Hirta (St. Kilda) exhibits marked and persistent instability in population size (600-1600 individuals); high mortality occurs in winter, due mainly to starvation (Clutton-Brock et al. 1991).

Mouflon in Hawaii: travels generally in small groups, sometimes forms herds of more than 100 (Tomich 1986).

Reproduction

Breeds year round in Hawaii, with a peak in late winter-early spring and a lesser peak in late summer. Gestation lasts around 150 days. May attain sexual maturity within one year. Litter size 1-2. One or two litters/year. Litter size and frequency of litters are minimal in females breeding as yearlings(Kramer 1971).
Terrestrial Habitats
Woodland - HardwoodShrubland/chaparralSavannaGrassland/herbaceousAlpineBare rock/talus/screeCliff
Other Nations (2)
CanadaNNA
United StatesNNA
ProvinceRankNative
HawaiiSNANo
WyomingSNANo
Roadless Areas (14)
California (2)
AreaForestAcres
Hoover - Emma LakeHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest1,007
Hoover - NorthHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest1,574
Colorado (2)
AreaForestAcres
Pole Mountain / Finger MesaRio Grande NF43,863
San MiguelSan Juan NF64,263
Nevada (3)
AreaForestAcres
Copper Mtns.Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest31,945
Jarbidge - West ForkHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest2,725
Snake - Big WashHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest4,146
Oregon (1)
AreaForestAcres
Lookout MountainOchoco National Forest14,115
Utah (6)
AreaForestAcres
418001Uinta National Forest5,697
City CreekFishlake National Forest13,939
High Uintas (UT)Wasatch-Cache National Forest102,398
Marysvale PeakFishlake National Forest22,624
Mollens HollowWasatch-Cache National Forest17,690
Signal PeakFishlake National Forest30,889
References (16)
  1. American Society of Mammalogists (ASM). 2025. Mammal Diversity Database (Version 1.13) [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10595931. Online. Available: https://www.mammaldiversity.org/
  2. Clutton-Brock, T. H., et al. 1991. Persistent instability and population regulation in soay sheep. J. Anim. Ecol. 60:593-608.
  3. Gentry, A., J. Clutton-Brock, and C. P. Groves. 2004. The naming of wild animal species and their domestic derivatives. Journal of Archaeological Science 31(5):645-651.
  4. Georgiadis, N. J., P. Kat, H. Oketch, and J. Patton. 1991. Allozyme divergence within the Bovidae. Evolution 44:2135-2149.
  5. Hawaii Ecosystems at Risk Project. 2005. Information index for selected alien vertebrates in Hawaii. Internet resource available at http://www.hear.org/alienspeciesinhawaii/InfoIndexVertebrates.htm. Downloaded 31 March 2005.
  6. Kramer, R. J. 1971. Hawaiian land mammals. Charles E. Tuttle Co., Inc., Rutland, Vermont, and Tokyo, Japan. 347 pp.
  7. Kraus, F., and M. M. Miyamoto. 1991. Rapid cladogenesis among the pecoran ruminants: evidence from mitochondrial DNA sequences. Systematic Zoology 40:117-130.
  8. Lever, C. 1985. Naturalized mammals of the world. Longman Group Limited, England.
  9. Nowak, R. M. 1991. Walker's mammals of the world. Fifth edition. Vols. I and II. Johns Hopkins Univ. Press, Baltimore. 1629 pp.
  10. Schuyler, P. 1989. Control of feral sheep on Santa Cruz Island. In F. G. Hochberg, ed. Recent advances in California Islands research: proceedings of the third California Islands symposium. Santa Barbara Mus. Nat. Hist.
  11. Scott, J. M., S. Mountainspring, C. van Riper, III, C. B. Kepler, J. D. Jacobi, T. A. Burr, and J. G. Griffin. 1984. Annual variation in the distribution, abundance, and habitat response of the alila (LOXIOIDES BALLEUI). Auk 101:647-64.
  12. Tomich, P. Q. 1986. Mammals in Hawai'i. A synopsis and notational bibliography. Second edition. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 375 pp.
  13. Van Vuren, D., and B. E. Coblentz. 1989. Population characteristics of feral sheep on Santa Cruz Island. J. Wildl. Manage. 53:306-313.
  14. Van Vuren, D., and P. W. Hedrick. 1989. Genetic conservation in feral populations of livestock. Conservation Biology 3:312-317.
  15. Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder (editors). 1993. Mammal species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference. Second edition. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC. xviii + 1206 pp. Available online at: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/msw/.
  16. Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder (editors). 2005. Mammal species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference. Third edition. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. Two volumes. 2,142 pp. [As modified by ASM the Mammal Diversity Database (MDD) at https://www.mammaldiversity.org/index.html]