Sheep

Sheep are domesticated ruminant mammals that are usually raised as livestock. Although the term "sheep" can be applied to other species of the genus Ovis, in everyday usage it almost always refers to domestic sheep. Like all ruminants, sheep are members of the order Artiodactyla, the even-toed ungulates. At just over a billion in number, domestic sheep are also the most numerous species of sheep.

DOMAIN: Eukaryote KINGDOM: The animal PHYLUS: chordates CLASS: Mammals ORDER: Artiodactyls FAMILY: Bovines SUBFAMILY: Caprinae TRIBE: Goats GENUS: Ovis SPECIES: O. Aries

BINOMIAL NAME: Ovis Aries

DIET: Herbivore

Domestic sheep are relatively small ruminants, usually with curly hair called wool and often with horns that form a lateral spiral. They differ from their wild relatives and ancestors in several respects, having become uniquely neotenous as a result of selective breeding by humans. A few primitive breeds of sheep retain some of the characteristics of their wild cousins, such as short tails. Depending on the breed, domestic sheep may have no horns at all, or have horns in both sexes, or only in males. Most horned breeds have only one pair, but some breeds may have several.

Sheep typically weigh between 45 and 100 kilograms, Sheep have 32 teeth, the front teeth on the lower jaw bite against a lower pad and no teeth on the upper jaw. These are used to remove vegetation, then the back teeth crush it before swallowing it. There are eight lower front teeth in ruminants.

Sheep have good hearing and are not sensitive to noise when handled. Sheep have horizontal slit-shaped pupils with excellent peripheral vision, sheep can see behind themselves without turning their heads. Shadows and uneven ground can cause sheep to become intimidated. In general, sheep have a tendency to come out of the dark and into well-lit areas, and prefer to move uphill when disturbed. Sheep also have an excellent sense of smell and, like all species of their genus, have scent glands just in front of their eyes and on their toes. The purpose of these glands is uncertain, but those on the face may be used in reproductive behavior.

Sheep are herd animals and strongly gregarious, much of sheep behavior can be understood on the basis of these tendencies. The dominance hierarchy of sheep and their natural inclination to follow a leader to new pastures were the key factors in sheep being one of the first livestock species domesticated. Furthermore, unlike red deer and gazelle, sheep do not defend territories, although they do form home ranges. In herding, sheep have a strong tendency to follow, and a leader may simply be the individual to move. Relationships in flocks tend to be closer between related sheep: in mixed-breed flocks, subgroups of the same breed tend to form, and a sheep and its direct descendants They often move as a unit within large herds. Sheep may be fattened on a particular local pasture so that they do not roam freely in unfenced landscapes.

Sheep are often thought of as unintelligent animals. Their flock behaviour and quickness to flee and panic can make herding a difficult task. Despite these perceptions, one university reported that sheep have intelligence only slightly lower than that of pigs and on par with that of cattle. In one study, it was reported that sheep recognize and are attracted to individual sheep and humans by their faces, as they possess similar specialized neural systems in the frontal lobes and temporal, each sheep can remember 50 other different sheep faces for more than 2 years. In addition to long-term facial recognition of individuals, sheep can also differentiate emotional states through facial features. With patience, sheep can learn their names, and many sheep are trained to be led with a halter for showing and other purposes. Sheep have been used as pack animals. The sounds made by domestic sheep include bleating, grunting, rumbling and snorting. The bleating ("Baaing") is mainly used for contact communication, especially between the mother and the lambs. Aside from contact communication, bleating can indicate distress, frustration or impatience, however, sheep are typically silent when in pain. Isolation often causes sheep to bleat. Pregnant ewes may grunt when they are in labour. The ram makes noises during courtship, the ewe may make similar rumbling noises, especially when she is with her newborn lambs. A snort can indicate aggression or a warning, and is often produced by frightened sheep.