Ovis

Genus of mammals

This article is about all Ovis species. For an article specifically about the domestic species, see sheep.

Ovis

There are seven species of Ovis.
Calls of a Domestic sheep.
Scientific classification
Kingdom:  | Animalia
Phylum:  | Chordata
Class:  | Mammalia
Order:  | Artiodactyla
Family:  | Bovidae
Subfamily:  | Caprinae
Tribe:  | Caprini
Genus:  | Ovis
Linnaeus, 1758
Type species
Ovis aries

Linnaeus, 1758

Species

See text.

Ovis is a genus of mammals, part of the Caprinae subfamily of the ruminant family Bovidae.[1] Its seven highly sociable species are known as sheep or ovines. Domestic sheep are members of the genus, and are thought to be descended from the wild mouflon of central and southwest Asia.

## Terminology

[edit]

Main article: Glossary of sheep husbandry

Female sheep are called ewes, males are called rams or less frequently bucks or tups, neutered males are called wethers, and young sheep are called lambs. The adjective applying to sheep is ovine, and the collective term for sheep is flock or mob. The term herd is also occasionally used in this sense, generally for large flocks. Many specialist terms relating to domestic sheep are used.

## Characteristics

[edit]

Sheep are fairly small compared to other ungulates; in most species, adults weigh less than 100 kg (220 lb).[2] Males are usually significantly heavier than females. Wild sheep are mostly found in hilly or mountainous habitats. Their diets consist mainly of grasses, as well as other plants and lichens. Like other ruminants, they have four-chambered stomachs, which play a vital role in digesting food; they eructate, and rechew the cud to enable them to digest and live on low-quality, rough plant materials. Sheep conserve water well, and can live in fairly dry environments.

The bodies of wild sheep (and some domestic breeds) are covered by a coat of thick hair to protect them from cold. This coat contains long, stiff hairs, called kemps, over a short, woolly undercoat, which grows in autumn and is shed in spring.[3] This woolly undercoat has been developed in many domestic sheep breeds into a fleece of long wool, with selection against kemp hairs in these breeds. The fleece covers the body (in a few breeds also the face and legs) and is used for fibre. Domestic sheep are also reared for their milk and meat (which is called lamb or mutton depending on the age of the animal).

In wild sheep, both rams and ewes have horns, while in domestic sheep (depending upon breed) horns may be present in both rams and ewes, in rams only, or in neither. Rams' horns may be very large – those of a mature bighorn ram can weigh 14 kg (31 lb) – as much as the bones of the rest of its body put together. Rams use their horns to fight with each other for dominance and the right to mate with females. In most cases, they do not injure each other because they hit each other head-to-head, and their curved horns do not strike each other's bodies. They are also protected by having very thick skin and double-layered skulls.[4]

Wild sheep have very keen senses of sight and hearing. When detecting predators, wild sheep most often flee, usually to higher ground, but they can also fight back. The Dall sheep has been known to butt wolves off the face of cliffs.[4]

Sheep have scent glands on their faces and feet. Communication through the scent glands is not well understood, but is thought to be important for sexual signaling. Males can smell females that are in estrus, and rams mark their territories by rubbing scent on rocks.

## Species

[edit]

Seven species (and numerous subspecies) of sheep are currently recognized. The main recognized divisions are:[1]

Image | Scientific name | Common Name | Distribution

|
|
|

| Ovis ammon | Argali or
mountain sheep | central Kazakhstan in the west to the Shanxi Province in China
| Ovis aries[5] | Domestic sheep | Domesticated
| Ovis canadensis | Bighorn sheep | North America
| Ovis dalli | Dall sheep or
thinhorn sheep | northwestern North America.
| Ovis gmelini | Mouflon | eastern Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Iran
| Ovis nivicola | Snow sheep | northeast of Siberia
| Ovis vignei | Urial | Central and South Asia.
| Ovis gracilis |  | A fossil species from the Early Pleistocene of Taurida Cave, Crimea.[6]

## Behaviour

[edit]

Sheep are social animals and live in groups, called flocks. This helps them to avoid predators and stay warm in cold weather by huddling together. Flocks of sheep need to keep moving to find new grazing areas and more favourable weather as the seasons change. In each flock, a sheep, usually a mature ram, is followed by the others.[3] This "leader to follower" relationship can be both a positive and negative for flocks of Ovis aries. Although there is safety in numbers, it has been reported that the following of one mature ram can bring flocks to slaughter in many situations where the mature ram misguides the flock.[7][8]

### Mating

[edit]

Sheep

Mating in sheep is characterized by males competing for females in estrus.[9] Social rank in rams is established by male-male competition during the rutting period.[10] Females select from dominant males based on sexually selected characteristics such as body size and horn size, as those traits are desirable in offspring.

Females typically are separated from males outside the rut, but during the rut, females and males are found together.[10] Females that are oestrous isolate themselves from other ewes, and may be less mobile.[10] The rut is also linked with different ewe behaviour than during nonrutting periods.[10] These changes are characterized by decreased feeding, increased time observing their surroundings, and increased behaviour changes.[10] Ewes are also predicted to be slightly receptive to the displays of the rams.[10]

## See also

[edit]

* Aries, the Ram (astrological sign)
* Barbary sheep (Ammotragus lervia) another type of Caprinae
* Pseudois, a genus with one species of Caprinae, the bharal, or blue sheep

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Grubb, P. (2005). "Order Artiodactyla". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 707–710\. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
2. ^ Nowak, R. M. and J. L. Paradiso. 1983. Walker's Mammals of the World. Baltimore, Maryland: The Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 0-8018-2525-3
3. ^ a b Clutton-Brock, J. 1999. A Natural History of Domesticated Mammals. Cambridge, UK : Cambridge University Press ISBN 0-521-63495-4
4. ^ a b Voelker, W. 1986. The Natural History of Living Mammals. Medford, New Jersey: Plexus Publishing, Inc. ISBN 0-937548-08-1
5. ^ ICZN (International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature) Opinion 2027
6. ^ Vislobokova, I. A. (25 September 2023). "Ovis gracilis sp. nov. (Artiodactyla, Bovidae) from the Lower Pleistocene of the Taurida Cave in the Crimea and History of the Genus Ovis". Paleontological Journal. 57 (5): 573–585\. Bibcode:2023PalJ...57..573V. doi:10.1134/S0031030123050118. ISSN 0031-0301. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
7. ^ Kawai, Kaori (1989). "The flexible grouping and behavioral character of a flock of Suffolk ewes (Ovis aries)". Journal of Ethology. 7. Journal of Plant Pathology: 41–51\. doi:10.1007/BF02350581. S2CID 36036030. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
8. ^ Schoenian, Susan. "Follow The Leader". Sheep 101. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
9. ^ Coltman, D; Festa-Bianchet, M; Jorgenson, J; Strobeck, C (2002). "Age-Dependent Sexual Selection in Bighorn Rams". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 269 (1487): 165–172\. doi:10.1098/rspb.2001.1851. PMC 1690873. PMID 11798432.
10. ^ a b c d e f Gonzalez, Georges; Bon, Richard; Estevez, Imna; Recarte, Jose (2001). "Behaviour of Ewes (Ovis Gmelini Musimon x Ovis Sp.) During the Rut". Rev. Ecol. 56: 221–230.

* Bulanskey, S. 1992. The Covenant of the Wild. New York: William Morrow and Company, Inc. ISBN 0-688-09610-7
* Parker, D. 2001. The Sheep Book. Athens, Ohio, USA : Swallow Press / Ohio University Press ISBN 0-8040-1032-3

## External links

[edit]

* Miller, S. 1998. "Sheep and Goats". United States Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service (archived).

* v
* t
* e

Extant Artiodactyla species

* Kingdom: Animalia
* Phylum: Chordata
* Class: Mammalia
* Infraclass: Eutheria
* Superorder: Laurasiatheria

Suborder Ruminantia

| Antilocapridae|

| Antilocapra|

* Pronghorn (A. americana)

|

Giraffidae|

| Okapia|

* Okapi (O. johnstoni)

|

Giraffa|

* Northern giraffe (G. camelopardalis)
* Southern giraffe (G. giraffa)
* Reticulated giraffe (G. reticulata)
* Masai giraffe (G. tippelskirchi)

Moschidae|

| Moschus|

* Anhui musk deer (M. anhuiensis)
* Dwarf musk deer (M. berezovskii)
* Alpine musk deer (M. chrysogaster)
* Kashmir musk deer (M. cupreus)
* Black musk deer (M. fuscus)
* Himalayan musk deer (M. leucogaster)
* Siberian musk deer (M. moschiferus)

|

Tragulidae|

| Hyemoschus|

* Water chevrotain (H. aquaticus)

|

Moschiola|

* Indian spotted chevrotain (M. indica)
* Yellow-striped chevrotain (M. kathygre)
* Sri Lankan spotted chevrotain (M. meminna)

Tragulus|

* Java mouse-deer (T. javanicus)
* Lesser mouse-deer (T. kanchil)
* Greater mouse-deer (T. napu)
* Philippine mouse-deer (T. nigricans)
* Vietnam mouse-deer (T. versicolor)
* Williamson's mouse-deer (T. williamsoni)

Cervidae|

Large family listed below

Bovidae|

Large family listed below

Family Cervidae

| Cervinae|

| Muntiacus|

* Bornean yellow muntjac (M. atherodes)
* Hairy-fronted muntjac (M. crinifrons)
* Fea's muntjac (M. feae)
* Gongshan muntjac (M. gongshanensis)
* Sumatran muntjac (M. montanus)
* Southern red muntjac (M. muntjak)
* Pu Hoat muntjac (M. puhoatensis)
* Leaf muntjac (M. putaoensis)
* Reeves's muntjac (M. reevesi)
* Roosevelt's muntjac (M. rooseveltorum)
* Truong Son muntjac (M. truongsonensis)
* Northern red muntjac (M. vaginalis)
* Giant muntjac (M. vuquangensis)

|

Elaphodus|

* Tufted deer (E. cephalophus)

Dama|

* European fallow deer (D. dama)
* Persian fallow deer (D. mesopotamica)

Axis|

* Chital (A. axis)
* Calamian deer (A. calamianensis)
* Bawean deer (A. kuhlii)
* Hog deer (A. porcinus)

Rucervus|

* Barasingha (R. duvaucelii)
* Eld's deer (R. eldii)

Elaphurus|

* Père David's deer (E. davidianus)

Rusa|

* Visayan spotted deer (R. alfredi)
* Philippine sambar (R. mariannus)
* Rusa deer (R. timorensis)
* Sambar (R. unicolor)

Cervus|

* Thorold's deer (C. albirostris)
* Red deer (C. elaphus)
* Elk (C. canadensis)
* Central Asian red deer (C. hanglu)
* Sika deer (C. nippon)

Capreolinae|

| Alces|

* Moose (A. alces)

|

Hydropotes|

* Water deer (H. inermis)

Capreolus|

* European roe deer (C. capreolus)
* Siberian roe deer (C. pygargus)

Rangifer|

* Reindeer (R. tarandus)

Hippocamelus|

* Taruca (H. antisensis)
* South Andean deer (H. bisulcus)

Mazama|

* Red brocket (M. americana)
* Small red brocket (M. bororo)
* Merida brocket (M. bricenii)
* Dwarf brocket (M. chunyi)
* Pygmy brocket (M. nana)
* Amazonian brown brocket (M. nemorivaga)
* Little red brocket (M. rufina)
* Central American red brocket (M. temama)

Ozotoceros|

* Pampas deer (O. bezoarticus)

Blastocerus|

* Marsh deer (B. dichotomus)

Pudu|

* Northern pudu (P. mephistophiles)?
* Southern pudu (P. pudu)

Pudella|

* Peruvian Yungas pudu (P. carlae)
* Northern pudu (P. mephistophiles)

Odocoileus|

* Mule deer (O. hemionus)
* Yucatan brown brocket (O. pandora)
* White-tailed deer (O. virginianus)

Subulo|

* Gray brocket (S. gouazoubira)

Family Bovidae

| Hippotraginae|

| Hippotragus|

* Roan antelope (H. equinus)
* Sable antelope (H. niger)

|

Oryx|

* East African oryx (O. beisa)
* Scimitar oryx (O. dammah)
* Gemsbok (O. gazella)
* Arabian oryx (O. leucoryx)

Addax|

* Addax (A. nasomaculatus)

Reduncinae|

| Kobus|

* Waterbuck (K. ellipsiprymnus)
* Kob (K. kob)
* Lechwe (K. leche)
* Nile lechwe (K. megaceros)
* Puku (K. vardonii)

|

Redunca|

* Southern reedbuck (R. arundinum)
* Mountain reedbuck (R. fulvorufula)
* Bohor reedbuck (R. redunca)

Aepycerotinae|

| Aepyceros|

* Impala (A. melampus)

|

Peleinae|

| Pelea|

* Grey rhebok (P. capreolus)

|

Alcelaphinae|

| Beatragus|

* Hirola (B. hunteri)

|

Damaliscus|

* Common tsessebe (D. lunatus)
* Bontebok (D. pygargus)

Alcelaphus|

* Hartebeest (A. buselaphus)

Connochaetes|

* Black wildebeest (C. gnou)
* Blue wildebeest (C. taurinus)

Pantholopinae|

| Pantholops|

* Tibetan antelope (P. hodgsonii)

|

Caprinae|

Large subfamily listed below

Bovinae|

Large subfamily listed below

Antilopinae|

Large subfamily listed below

Family Bovidae (subfamily Caprinae)

| Ammotragus|

* Barbary sheep (A. lervia)

|

Arabitragus|

* Arabian tahr (A. jayakari)

Budorcas|

* Takin (B. taxicolor)

Capra|

* Wild goat (C. aegagrus)
* West Caucasian tur (C. caucasia)
* East Caucasian tur (C. cylindricornis)
* Markhor (C. falconeri)
* Domestic goat (C. hircus)
* Alpine ibex (C. ibex)
* Nubian ibex (C. nubiana)
* Iberian ibex (C. pyrenaica)
* Siberian ibex (C. sibirica)
* Walia ibex (C. walie)

Capricornis|

* Japanese serow (C. crispus)
* Red serow (C. rubidus)
* Mainland serow (C. sumatraensis)
* Taiwan serow (C. swinhoei)

Hemitragus|

* Himalayan tahr (H. jemlahicus)

Naemorhedus|

* Red goral (N. baileyi)
* Long-tailed goral (N. caudatus)
* Himalayan goral (N. goral)
* Chinese goral (N. griseus)

Oreamnos|

* Mountain goat (O. americanus)

Ovibos|

* Muskox (O. moschatus)

Nilgiritragus|

* Nilgiri tahr (N. hylocrius)

Ovis|

* Argali (O. ammon)
* Domestic sheep (O. aries)
* Bighorn sheep (O. canadensis)
* Dall sheep (O. dalli)
* Mouflon (O. gmelini)
* Snow sheep (O. nivicola)
* Urial (O. vignei)

Pseudois|

* Bharal (P. nayaur)

Rupicapra|

* Pyrenean chamois (R. pyrenaica)
* Chamois (R. rupicapra)

Family Bovidae (subfamily Bovinae)

| Boselaphini|

| Tetracerus|

* Four-horned antelope (T. quadricornis)

|

Boselaphus|

* Nilgai (B. tragocamelus)

Bovini|

| Bubalus|

* Wild water buffalo (B. arnee)
* Domestic water buffalo (B. bubalis)
* Lowland anoa (B. depressicornis)
* Tamaraw (B. mindorensis)
* Mountain anoa (B. quarlesi)

|

Bos|

* American bison (B. bison)
* European bison (B. bonasus)
* Bali cattle (B. domesticus)
* Gayal (B. frontalis)
* Gaur (B. gaurus)
* Domestic yak (B. grunniens)
* Zebu (B. indicus)
* Banteng (B. javanicus)
* Wild yak (B. mutus)
* Cattle (B. taurus)

Pseudoryx|

* Saola (P. nghetinhensis)

Syncerus|

* African buffalo (S. caffer)

Tragelaphini|

| Tragelaphus
(including kudus)|

* Nyala (T. angasii)
* Mountain nyala (T. buxtoni)
* Bongo (T. eurycerus)
* Lesser kudu (T. imberbis)
* Harnessed bushbuck (T. scriptus)
* Sitatunga (T. spekeii)
* Greater kudu (T. strepsiceros)
* Cape bushbuck (T. sylvaticus)

|

Taurotragus|

* Giant eland (T. derbianus)
* Common eland (T. oryx)

Family Bovidae (subfamily Antilopinae)

| Antilopini|

| Ammodorcas|

* Dibatag (A. clarkei)

|

Antidorcas|

* Springbok (A. marsupialis)

Antilope|

* Blackbuck (A. cervicapra)

Eudorcas|

* Mongalla gazelle (E. albonotata)
* Red-fronted gazelle (E. rufifrons)
* Thomson's gazelle (E. thomsonii)
* Heuglin's gazelle (E. tilonura)

Gazella|

* Arabian gazelle (G. arabica)
* Chinkara (G. bennettii)
* Cuvier's gazelle (G. cuvieri)
* Dorcas gazelle (G. dorcas)
* Mountain gazelle (G. gazella)
* Rhim gazelle (G. leptoceros)
* Speke's gazelle (G. spekei)
* Goitered gazelle (G. subgutturosa)

Litocranius|

* Gerenuk (L. walleri)

Nanger|

* Dama gazelle (N. dama)
* Grant's gazelle (N. granti)
* Bright's gazelle (N. notatus)
* Peter's gazelle (N. petersii)
* Soemmerring's gazelle (N. soemmerringii)

Procapra|

* Mongolian gazelle (P. gutturosa)
* Goa (P. picticaudata)
* Przewalski's gazelle (P. przewalskii)

Saigini|

| Saiga|

* Saiga antelope (S. tatarica)

|

Neotragini|

| Dorcatragus|

* Beira (D. megalotis)

|

Madoqua|

* Günther's dik-dik (M. guentheri)
* Kirk's dik-dik (M. kirkii)
* Silver dik-dik (M. piacentinii)
* Salt's dik-dik (M. saltiana)

Neotragus|

* Royal antelope (N. pygmaeus)

Nesotragus|

* Bates' pygmy antelope (N. batesi)
* Suni (N. moschatus)

Oreotragus|

* Klipspringer (O. oreotragus)

Ourebia|

* Oribi (O. ourebi)

Raphicerus|

* Steenbok (R. campestris)
* Cape grysbok (R. melanotis)
* Sharpe's grysbok (R. sharpei)

Cephalophini|

| Cephalophus|

* Aders's duiker (C. adersi)
* Brooke's duiker (C. brookei)
* Peters' duiker (C. callipygus)
* White-legged duiker (C. crusalbum)
* Bay duiker (C. dorsalis)
* Harvey's duiker (C. harveyi)
* Jentink's duiker (C. jentinki)
* White-bellied duiker (C. leucogaster)
* Red forest duiker (C. natalensis)
* Black duiker (C. niger)
* Black-fronted duiker (C. nigrifrons)
* Ogilby's duiker (C. ogilbyi)
* Ruwenzori duiker (C. rubidis)
* Red-flanked duiker (C. rufilatus)
* Yellow-backed duiker (C. silvicultor)
* Abbott's duiker (C. spadix)
* Weyns's duiker (C. weynsi)
* Zebra duiker (C. zebra)

|

Philantomba|

* Blue duiker (P. monticola)
* Maxwell's duiker (P. maxwellii)
* Walter's duiker (P. walteri)

Sylvicapra|

* Common duiker (S. grimmia)

Suborder Suina

| Suidae|

| Babyrousa|

* Buru babirusa (B. babyrussa)
* North Sulawesi babirusa (B. celebensis)
* Togian babirusa (B. togeanensis)

|

Hylochoerus|

* Giant forest hog (H. meinertzhageni)

Phacochoerus|

* Desert warthog (P. aethiopicus)
* Common warthog (P. africanus)

Porcula|

* Pygmy hog (P. salvania)

Potamochoerus|

* Bushpig (P. larvatus)
* Red river hog (P. porcus)

Sus|

* Palawan bearded pig (S. ahoenobarbus)
* Bornean bearded pig (S. barbatus)
* Visayan warty pig (S. cebifrons)
* Celebes warty pig (S. celebensis)
* Domestic pig (S. domesticus)
* Flores warty pig (S. heureni)
* Oliver's warty pig (S. oliveri)
* Philippine warty pig (S. philippensis)
* Wild boar (S. scrofa)
* Timor warty pig (S. timoriensis)
* Javan warty pig (S. verrucosus)

Tayassuidae|

| Tayassu|

* White-lipped peccary (T. pecari)

|

Catagonus|

* Chacoan peccary (C. wagneri)

Dicotyles|

* Collared peccary (D. tajacu)

Suborder Tylopoda

| Camelidae|

| Lama|

* Llama (L. glama)
* Guanaco (L. guanicoe)
* Alpaca (L. pacos)
* Vicuña (L. vicugna)

|

Camelus|

* Domestic Bactrian camel (C. bactrianus)
* Dromedary/Arabian camel (C. dromedarius)
* Wild Bactrian camel (C. ferus)

Suborder Whippomorpha

| Hippopotamidae|

| Hippopotamus|

* Hippopotamus (H. amphibius)

|

Choeropsis|

* Pygmy hippopotamus (C. liberiensis)

Cetacea|

* see Cetacea

Taxon identifiers

Ovis|

* Wikidata: Q22724
* Wikispecies: Ovis
* ADW: Ovis
* BOLD: 7419
* EoL: 39510
* EPPO: 1OVISG
* Fauna Europaea: 305237
* Fauna Europaea (new): cd9eaf2b-4967-41ba-8a97-adaa59f8e946
* GBIF: 9531221
* iNaturalist: 42387
* IRMNG: 1028623
* ITIS: 180709
* MSW: 14200814
* NBN: NBNSYS0000135957
* NCBI: 9935
* NZOR: 2f255c60-8a99-4484-9d55-7b9e12497574
* Open Tree of Life: 540244
* Paleobiology Database: 42816
* Plazi: F4787524-D7EA-B6A1-DAA7-FAFCA4A26373
* WoRMS: 993625
* ZooBank: 15B26441-0742-4534-9D15-70826A4647F9

Authority control databases

National|

* Germany
* United States
* France
* BnF data
* Czech Republic
* Israel

Other|

* Yale LUX

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