| Species to Hunt | Barbary Sheep

Barbary Sheep*

Order Artiodactyla : Family Bovidae : Ammotragus lervia (Pallas)

Description. A relatively large sheep with horns curving outward, backward, and then inward and marked with strong transverse wrinkles; horns of females similar but somewhat smaller; tail relatively long, reaching nearly to hocks and with long hairs on terminal half; a conspicuous growth of long hair on throat, chest, and upperparts of front legs; no beard as is found in goats; upperparts and outer surface of legs uniform rufous or grayish brown; blackish mid-dorsal line from head to middle of back; flanks, inner surface of legs and belly whitish, but the chest colored like the sides; horns yellowish brown, darkening with age, set close together (nearly touching at the bases), and attaining a length of 50-80 cm. External measurements of a moderately large adult male: total length, 1,650 mm; tail, 141 mm; hind foot (tip of hoof to hock), 363 mm; ear, 116 mm; height at shoulder, 950 mm. Weight of males up to 145 kg; females to 65 kg. Dental formula: I 0/3, C 0/0, Pm 3/3, M 3/3 X 2 = 30.

Habits. This sheep, also called the aoudad, is adapted to a dry, rough, barren, and waterless habitat — much as is the native bighorn sheep of our southwestern deserts. Consequently, it is quite likely that these two could not survive together in the same area because of competition between them.

These sheep live in small groups comprised of old and young animals of both sexes. They are expert climbers and can ascend and descend slopes so precipitous that man can negotiate them only with great difficulty. Consequently, they are difficult to hunt.

Their food consists of a wide variety of vegetation including grasses, forbs, and shrubs. Apparently, they are capable of producing metabolic water and can survive for long periods without access to fresh water. However, when water is available they utilize it for both drinking and bathing.

The breeding season appears to be rather extended, but most of the breeding is concentrated in the 2 months from mid-September to mid-November. The gestation period is about 160 days. Consequently, most of the lambs are born between late February and late April, but some lambs are born as late as November.
According to Ogren, females may become sexually mature at the age of 8 months, but normally they are older. All females 19 months of age or older that were collected in the fall and winter season were gravid, lactating, or ovulating.