What a ram looks like: description and where artiodactyls live, from whom they originated

Sheep are called wild representatives of small cattle. In agriculture, the name domestic sheep is used. Animals differ in size, properties of wool and length of horns. The herd instinct and seasonality of breeding agricultural sheep inherited from wild ancestors. As a result of selection, heavy meat, long-haired and dairy breeds appeared. The idea of what a wild sheep looks like has gradually faded.

Description of animals

Sheep is an artiodactyl animal of the mammal class. 8 thousand years ago, a man tamed wild sheep, began to eat milk and meat, and make clothes from wool. The Latin name for the animal is "ovis ammon". The Mongolian name "argali" translates as "wild sheep".

Sheep Appearance:

• weight - 70-160 kilograms;
• height at the withers - 55-100 centimeters;
• body length - 60-110 centimeters;
• straight or hump profile.

Weight and body size vary by breed. Females weigh less - up to one hundred kilograms. The minimum tail length of rams is 9.5 centimeters. The horns of mountain sheep are sharp at the ends, twisted in a spiral and reach 190 centimeters in length. The horns of females are shorter - 50 centimeters.

The detachment of artiodactyls includes domestic sheep, which descended from bighorn and mountain sheep. The first domestic representatives of small ruminants come from prehistoric Turkey, Syria and Mesopotamia.

Some body parts of domestic and wild sheep are different:

Oval eye sockets

Sign	Domestic sheep	Wild sheep
Wool	Twisted rings	Lays flat
Horns	Only in males, rarely in females	In males and females
Skull structure	Narrow eye sockets

The brain size of a domestic ram is smaller than that of a wild one. Also, domesticated animals have a longer tail. Sheep have a special structure of the jaw. Fangs and incisors are located only below. Due to the tilt of the incisors at an obtuse angle to the jaw, it is easier for sheep to bite off grass than other herbivores. In sheep breeding, a male is called a ram, a female in the general sense is called a sheep, and not a sexually mature female is called bright. The baby of a domestic and wild sheep is called a lamb.

Wild sheep are distinguished by a variety of colors: light yellow, red-brown, dark gray. The dark upper body is separated from the light belly by a dark stripe. The color of females is lighter than that of males. In the summer, spots appear, and the coat becomes shorter. In winter, short hair is replaced by long hair.

Pure black or white color is typical only for farm animals.

Varieties of rams and sheep

Wild animals differ in external features: the length and twist of the horns, body size, color. Types of wild sheep:

• argali;
• urian;
• mouflon.

In nature, they live on an area of 30 kilometers, in winter they feed closer to the valleys, gather in a herd of up to a thousand heads. Wild breeds of sheep are called aboriginal, and domestic breeding breeds are called cultivated. In agriculture, the name common sheep is also used. Animals are divided by productivity:

• meat;
• dairy;
• woolen;
• greasy.

There are also mixed types (which give two products) - meat-greasy and meat-wool.Domestic sheep are descendants of mouflon mountain sheep. From wild ancestors, they retained the herd instinct and submission to the leader. The largest and strongest horned ram becomes the leader. Sheep with horns are sometimes found among dairy and meat species.

Habitat

Wild sheep live in Europe, Asia, the Mediterranean islands and the USA. Mouflons are found in Sardinia, Corsica and Cyprus. India, Iran, Kazakhstan and the Caucasus are countries where Asian varieties are common. Broad North American wildlife range from Canada to the coast of California.

Wild sheep are found in the following area:

• Nuratau ridge in Uzbekistan;
• in the hills, rocky plateaus of eastern Mongolia;
• in Khunjirab National Nature Park in Pakistan;
• in Damodar Kunda and Dolpo region in Nepal;
• on the eastern slopes of the Tien Shan mountains;
• in the Pamirs, in the Vahdjir Valley in Afghanistan.

In Russia, wild sheep are common in eastern Siberia. The main natural habitat of sheep is mountains. They rarely live in deserts. Domestic sheep have been raised since ancient times in Armenia. In the modern world, sheep farms are located in Australia, the islands of New Zealand, and Great Britain. Sheep wool produced in the Caucasus, Kazakhstan, China, Tibet and the southern regions of Russia is famous for its high quality.

What do sheep eat

According to the way of feeding, rams are classified as herbivores. Wild animals eat sedge and contribute to a high yield of useful herbs. Argali of Kazakhstan eat more diversely: flowers, fruits and twigs. They make up for the lack of mineral s alts by using saline soil. Herds travel long distances in drought to reach lakes and drink.In winter, they drink water from melted mountain streams.

Diet of domestic sheep:

• green fodder is the basis of nutrition in the summer, the grass contains the necessary vitamins and minerals and replaces the feed. Sheep eat meadow grasses: cow parsnip, clover, timothy. At the end of summer, sheep get useful substances from the greens of rye and oats;
• silo - green mass, crushed and vacuum-preserved, replaces succulent fodder in winter. The silage consists of corn, sunflower, vegetable tops. The product is high-calorie and nutritious, like fresh grass;
• hay, straw - alfalfa, clover, barley and oat stalks are dried to feed sheep in winter. All-purpose plant food retains nutrients when properly harvested and stored;
• vegetables - sheep get fiber from root crops and gourds. Fodder beet, pumpkin, zucchini and carrots contain vitamins necessary for the he alth of male sheep and the development of lambs. Vegetables are a must in the diet of animals that give milk and wool;
• concentrated food - grains of wheat, oatmeal, barley, corn, bran.

Sheep is a ruminant animal with a four-chambered stomach. The digestive system of sheep is distinguished by numerous microflora and is designed to digest tough plant foods.

Behavior in the natural environment

Sheep feed during the day and rest at night. In the heat, they spend the day in the shade, and forage for food at dusk. This behavior is based on the grazing of domestic sheep. Females with cubs gather in separate groups. Males live alone or also form a separate group with a hierarchy.It is led by the strongest ram, who has proven his superiority in duels.

Adult females predominate in wild populations. Juveniles make up 20 percent of the group. Sheep keep close to each other so as not to lose any of the members of the herd. Animals are sociable not only in their group. They also make contact with representatives of other communities.

Groups with males migrate in search of food, and in summer they climb high on the slopes of the mountains. At altitude, insects do not pester them. Migration also begins due to poaching, fires, famine.

If one of the members of the herd noticed the danger, he makes a sign to the others - he makes a low voice sound. After the signal, the group moves to a safe place.

Natural enemies

In nature, sheep are hunted:

• wolves;
• coyotes;
• irbises;
• leopards;
• snow leopards;
• cheetahs;
• eagles;
• golden eagles.

When attacked by predators, lonely sheep freeze and do not move until the danger has passed. Females and males in groups flee. On long legs, they develop high speed on flat and rough terrain. Juveniles and females jump high. Heavy males break away heavily. It is difficult for them to escape through deep snow.

Sheep don't attack first and fight back as a last resort. Peaceful animals fight with horns only among themselves.

Reproduction and longevity

Sheep and sheep live 10-12 years. The breeding season in wild sheep is called rut.Males are polygamous and reach sexual maturity at 5 years of age. Females become sexually mature at 2 years of age. The inequality is explained by the fact that the male must get stronger and give he althy offspring, and the task of the female is to give birth to more cubs and increase the population.

For the right to possess females, rams fight in duels - they collide with horns. Usually, large six-year-old males drive young relatives out of the herd during estrus in females. The rut lasts from October to January, and for another two months after its end, males can walk in the herd with females.

The duration of pregnancy is 5.5 months. Childbirth takes place from March to April. More often, one lamb is born, but two cubs in the offspring are not uncommon. Less commonly, five lambs are born at the same time.

The weight of a newborn lamb is 2.7-4.6 kilograms. The first day after birth, the sheep and the cub spend at rest, and the next day they go for a walk. Cubs quickly gain weight and add 20-40 kilograms per year.At three months, lambs have milk teeth, and at six months, molars. Gradually, they switch to eating grass, but continue to drink mother's milk.

How to tell a female from a male?

External signs by which sheep are distinguished:

• size - males are noticeably taller and larger;
• horns - decoration does not always crown the head of females, their horns are shorter. The horns of rams are twisted into a spiral with two turns, and those of sheep with one incomplete turn.

In hornless species, the female can be recognized by the udder. In the wild, males have thicker hair on the back of the neck, encircling the neck with a ring.

How animals sleep

Sheep sleep standing up and lying down. Deep sleep lasts 3-4 hours in a supine position. Drowsiness comes when they stand. Herd animals completely immerse themselves in lying down when they feel safe. Sheep lie on their side, as in this position it is convenient for them to fold their legs.

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