Mouflon Sheep (Ovis
musimon)
The
mouflon sheep is thought to be one of two ancestors of all modern sheep breeds.
Historically found on the islands of Corsica, Sardina, and Cyprus, by the
mid-nineteenth century these sheep had all but disappeared from this area.
As a result of captive-breeding programs, the mouflon sheep has been successfully
introduced to parts of central Europe but remains rare on its native islands.
The mouflon is a medium-sized
sheep, standing between two and four feet tall, and weighing about 120 lbs.
Females are slightly smaller. Males have large, curled horns that are usually
around 25 inches long. The mouflon is red-brown with a light saddle patch
and underparts and a dark dorsal stripe. It has a coarse, heavy coat and develops
a wooly undercoat in the winter. The mouflon feeds on grasses that grow on
mountain slopes. Depending on the population’s status, mouflon sheep live
anywhere from 6 to 20 years.