ORDER

Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates)

FAMILY

Bovidae (antelopes, cattle, gazelles, goats, sheep, and relatives)

HABITAT AND RANGE

Domestic sheep such as ours are not found in the wild.

DIET

In the wild, sheep feed mainly on grasses. In the zoo, the domestic sheep are fed grain and hay. They are not fussy eaters and will eat virtually any form of vegetation.

REPRODUCTION AND LIFESPAN

Sheep usually bear 1-2 lambs after a gestation period of 4.5 months. The male is called a ram; the female is an ewe; the baby is a lamb.

NOTES

Sheep were one of the first mammals to be domesticated, originally for their meat. Several varieties are currently being bred. The production of wool is the most popular feature of the sheep economically. Wild sheep molt their coat, but domestic sheep have been bred to retain their wool and must be sheared.