About Ammotragus lervia (Pallas, 1777)
Shoulder Height, Length, Weight
Barbary sheep (Ammotragus lervia (Pallas, 1777)) stand 75 to 110 cm (2 ft 6 in to 3 ft 7 in) tall at the shoulder, measure around 1.5 m (5 ft) in length, and weigh 30 to 145 kg (66 to 320 lb).
General Coat Coloration
Their coat is sandy-brown, which darkens as the animal ages, with a slightly lighter underbelly and a darker line running along the back.
Upper Body and Leg Coloration
The upper body and outer parts of the legs are a uniform reddish-brown or grayish-brown.
Throat Hair and Mane
Shaggy hair grows on the throat, extending down to the chest in males, and the species has a sparse mane.
Horn Shape and Length
Barbary sheep horns have a triangular cross-section; they curve outward, then backward, then inward, and can reach over 76 cm (30 in) in length.
Horn Texture
The horns are fairly smooth, with slight wrinkles visible at the base as the animal matures.
Native Endemic Range
Barbary sheep are endemic to regions of Northern Africa that primarily surround the barren center of the Sahara Desert.
Country Distribution List
Countries and territories where aoudad (Barbary sheep) may be found include Algeria, northern Chad, Egypt, Libya, northern Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Tunisia, and Western Sahara.
Distribution in Sudan and Red Sea Hills
West of the Nile, they occur in Sudan; east of the Nile, they are found in the Red Sea Hills.
Extinct Ancient Egyptian Subspecies
The now-extinct Ancient Egyptian corkscrew-horned sheep (Ovis longipes palaeoaegyptiacus) was also thought to be a subspecies of wild Barbary sheep.
Population Threats
Within their native range, Barbary sheep populations have been decreasing due to hunting, both legal and illegal, and habitat destruction.
