Ammotragus lervia
The Barbary sheep is native to the Barbary coast in Africa including Morocco, the Western Sahara, Egypt, and Sudan. There are also some introduced populations in North America and Spain.
Both sexes have a heavy fringe of hair on their throat, but in males this extends down the neck and reaches the front legs. Similarly, the horns of males are longer than those of females (our picture shows a young female).
These sheep are very good at jumping. They can easily clear a 2 meter (6.6 ft) obstacle from a stand-still. They obtain all their moisture from food, but if water is available they drink and wallow in it.
The picture of this Barbary sheep was taken at the zoo of Berlin, Germany, in September 2005.
Genus Ammotragus
Subfamily Caprinae
Family Bovidae
Order Artiodactyla
Subclass Eutheria
Class Mammalia
Subphylum Vertebrata
Phylum Chordata
Kingdom Animalia
Life on Earth
Index