| Species to Hunt | Mouflon Sheep

Mouflon Sheep

Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Bovidae
Genus: Ovis
Species: ammon musimon
Group:Flock
Male: Ram or Buck
Female: Ewe
Baby: Lamb

Description:

Mouflon sheep have small bodies, long legs and short tails. They are brown in color with white on their underside. Their horns are tightly curved and are smaller than the horns of other wild sheep. Generally, only the males have horns, but some females may have small horns. The Mouflon’s outer coat is stiff and bristly, and covers a short, wooly undercoat. The undercoat is shed each spring. They resemble the bighorn sheep, but are generally smaller.

Size:

They average 27 inches in height. Males weigh up to 100 pounds, and females weigh less.

Life Span:

Approximately 15 to 20 years.

Diet:

G rasses, sedges and forbs. .

Geographic Range:

Mouflon sheep are original from Corsica and Sardinia. They have also been introduced into many parts of Europe.

Habitat:

They inhabit fairly dry upland and mountain areas. These areas are typically located at elevations ranging from sea level to 5,000 meters.

Reproduction:

Breeding begins in autumn, and the lambs are usually born in April. After a gestation period of about 150 to 180 days, females produce 1 to 3 young, which weigh 6 to 10 pounds each. They reach sexual maturity at 2 1⁄2 to 3 1⁄2 years of age.

Behavior:

Mouflon Sheep have a social system that is based on a single, dominant leader. Except for the breeding season, the males live in flocks separate from the mothers and their young. During breeding season combat, rams rush together with such force that they are occasionally killed by the impact. The Mouflon are a herd animal. They feed intermittently throughout the day, resting during the hottest hours. They are extremely fast runners.

Current Status:

The Mouflon is possibly an ancestor to all domestic sheep. Its survival in the wild depends on finding enough food in its harsh environment. The Mouflon has adapted over the years so that it can escape from its fleet-footed predators. There are an estimated 700 survivors in the wild. In 1980, the USDI listed the Mouflon sheep as endangered in Cyprus.