Ovis 2980764 222658597 2008-06-30T13:55:53Z Thijs!bot 1392310 robot Adding: [[simple:Ovis]] :''This article refers to the sheep genus. For the species commonly referred to simply as "sheep", see [[Domestic sheep]].'' {{Taxobox | name = Sheep | image = Ovis canadensis 2.jpg | image_width = 200px | image_caption = [[Bighorn Sheep]] | regnum = [[Animal]]ia | phylum = [[Chordate|Chordata]] | classis = [[Mammal]]ia | ordo = [[Artiodactyla]] | familia = [[Bovidae]] | subfamilia = [[Caprinae]] | genus = '''''Ovis''''' | genus_authority = [[Carolus Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], 1758 | subdivision_ranks = Species | subdivision = See text. }} A '''sheep''' is an individual of any of the five or more [[mammal]] [[species]] that comprise the [[genus]] '''''Ovis''''', part of the [[goat antelope]] [[subfamily]]. Sheep are [[bovid]]s (members of the [[scientific classification|family]] ''[[Bovidae]]'') and [[ruminant]]s, meaning they chew cud. The [[domestic sheep]] is thought to be descended from the wild [[mouflon]] of [[central Asia|central]] and [[southwest Asia]]. Members of the genus are highly gregarious. Female sheep are called ''ewes'', males are called ''rams'' (sometimes also called ''bucks'' or ''[[tup]]s'') and young sheep are called ''lambs''. The adjective applying to sheep is ''ovine'' and the collective term for sheep is ''[[Herd|flock]]'' or ''mob''. The term ''herd'' is also occasionally used in this sense. See [[Glossary of sheep husbandry]] for other terms related to domestic sheep. Sheep are usually stockier than other bovines and some have horns which are more divergent than those of goats. Sheep have [[scent gland]]s on the face and hind feet. Communication through the scent glands is not well understood but is thought to be important for sexual signaling. Males can smell females which are fertile and ready to mate, and rams mark their territories by rubbing scent on to rocks. They have a four-chambered [[stomach]] which plays a vital role in [[digestion|digesting]], [[Regurgitation|regurgitating]], and redigesting food. Domestic sheep are important for their [[wool]], [[milk]], and [[meat]] (which is called [[Lamb (food)|mutton]] or [[Lamb (food)|lamb]]). Five species and numerous subspecies of sheep are currently recognized, although some subspecies have also been considered full species. The following are the main ones:<ref>''Wilson & Reeder's Mammal species of the world'' 3rd edition [http://www.bucknell.edu/msw3/browse.asp?s=y&id=14200825 online]</ref> {| class="wikitable" | [[Image:Argali.jpg|120px]] || ''Ovis ammon'' || [[Argali]] |- | [[Image:Ovis orientalis aries 'Skudde' (aka).jpg|120px]] || ''Ovis orientalis aries''<ref>[[ICZN]] (International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature) [http://www.iczn.org/BZNMar2003opinions.htm opinion 2027]</ref> || [[Domestic sheep]] |- | [[Image:Mouflon 2.jpg|120px]] || ''Orientalis orientalis orientalis'' group|| [[Mouflon]] |- | [[Image:Ovis ammon vignei arkal Pretoria 3.jpg|120px]] || ''Ovis orientalis vignei'' group || [[Urial]] |- | [[Image:Ovis canadensis 2.jpg|120px]] || ''Ovis canadensis'' || [[Bighorn sheep]] |- | [[Image:2005 04 27 1582 Dall Sheep.jpg|120px]] || ''Ovis dalli'' || [[Dall Sheep]] |- | || ''Ovis nivicola'' || [[Snow sheep]] |} Wild sheep are mostly found in hilly or mountainous habitats. They are fairly small compared to other [[ungulates]]; in most species adults weigh less than 100 kg (220 lb) (Nowak 1983). Their diet consists mainly of [[grass]]es, as well as other plants and [[lichens]]. Like other [[bovid]]s their [[digestive system]] enables them to digest and live on low-quality, rough plant materials. Sheep conserve water well and can live in fairly dry environments. Their bodies are covered by a coat of thick [[hair]] to protect them from cold. The coat contains long, stiff hairs, called kemps, and a short woolly undercoat, called [[fleece]], which grows in fall and is shed in spring.<ref name=Clutton-Brock>Clutton-Brock, J. 1999. ''A Natural History of Domesticated Mammals''. Cambridge, UK : Cambridge University Press ISBN 0521634954</ref> Wild sheep are social animals and live in groups, called flocks. This helps them to avoid [[predator]]s and also helps them stay warm in bad weather by huddling together. Flocks of sheep need to keep moving to find new grazing areas and more favorable climate as the seasons change. In each flock there is a sheep, usually a mature ram, which the others follow as a leader <ref name=Clutton-Brock/>. In wild sheep both rams and ewes have [[Horn (anatomy)|horn]]s, with those of rams being much larger. The horns of a mature bighorn ram can weigh 14 kg (30 lb) &ndash; as much as the rest of its bones put together. Rams use their horns to fight with each other for dominance and for 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 a double-layered skull.<ref name=Voelker> Voelker, W. 1986. ''The Natural History of Living Mammals''. Medford, New Jersey: Plexus Publishing, Inc. ISBN 0937548081</ref> Wild sheep have very keen [[senses]] of [[sight]] and [[Hearing (sense)|hearing]]. When detecting predators wild sheep most often flee, usually uphill to higher ground. However they can also fight back. The Dall sheep has been known to butt [[wolf|wolves]] off the face of cliffs.<ref name=Voelker/> ==References== {{Reflist}} *Bulanskey, S. 1992. ''The Covenant of the Wild''. New York: William Morrow and Company, Inc. ISBN 0688096107 *Nowak, R. M. and J. L. Paradiso. 1983. ''Walker's Mammals of the World''. Baltimore, Maryland: The Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 0801825253 *Parker, D. 2001. ''The Sheep Book''. Athens, Ohio, USA : Ohio University Press ISBN 0804010323 ==See also== *[[Aries (astrology)|Aries, the Ram]] (astrological sign) *[[Barbary Sheep]] (''Ammotragus lervia''), another type of [[goat antelope]], not closely related to ''Ovis'' sheep. *Blue sheep or bharal (''Pseodois''), two species of [[goat antelope]]s, not closely related to ''Ovis'' sheep. *[[Domestic sheep]] *[[Glossary of sheep husbandry]] *[[List of sheep breeds]] *[[Sheep husbandry]] ==External links== *[http://www.fas.usda.gov/dlp2/circular/1998/98-10LP/sheep3.htm Miller, S. 1998. "Sheep and Goats". United States Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service] *[http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/sheep Oklahoma State University (OSU). 2003 Breeds of Livestock: Sheep] Retrieved January 13, 2007 *[http://www.ultimateungulate.com Huffman, B. 2006. ''The Ultimate Ungulate Page'' Website] Retrieved January 13, 2007 {{Artiodactyla|R.3}} [[Category:Sheep| ]] [[ca:Oví]] [[cs:Ovce]] [[de:Schafe]] [[eo:Ovio]] [[fr:Ovis]] [[hr:Ovce]] [[it:Ovis]] [[he:כבש (סוג)]] [[kw:Davas]] [[nl:Schapen]] [[no:Sauer]] [[pl:Ovis]] [[pt:Ovis]] [[ru:Бараны]] [[sq:Delja]] [[simple:Ovis]] [[sk:Ovca]] [[sv:Får]] [[tr:Koyun]] [[zh:羊属]]