Males considerably larger than females. An unmis­takable, large, stocky, wild sheep with prominent mane along under­side of neck and smooth, curved horns. Upper parts orange-brown to reddish, browner on legs. No flank stripe, underparts paler. Lower legs and feet pale, hooves dark. Profuse mane (more apparent in male than female) of long hair running from throat down underside of neck to the forelegs. Mane paler than upper parts. No beard as present in male Ibex. Head elongated, lacking distinctive pattern. Ears small and pointed, whitish inside. Horns large and heavy, often meeting at base on forehead. Curve out and back and then down and inward, almost forming a circle. Ringed, but lack the distinct knobs of the Ibex. Larger in the male, where they can reach 88cm along the curve, than in the female, where they rarely reach 40cm. Tail rather long-haired, even bushy. Naked on underside at base. Voice a series of grunts between female and calves and from rutting male.

Barbary sheep, also called auodads, originated in the hills of the Sahara and have inhabited all the major mountains of North Africa. In the late 1800s, Barbary sheep were introduced into Europe, including Germany and Italy. Around 1900, the first Barbary sheep were transferred to the United States to be placed in zoos. Surplus zoo stock was sold to private parties who eventually released some to the wild in New Mexico in 1950 and in Texas in 1957. This has allowed a wild population to develop in the southwestern United States (Gray & Simpson, 1980).

Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Introduced ); palearctic (Introduced ); ethiopian (Native )

70 records. Latest 2000 (Gebel Elba, Gebel Uweinat).

Formerly Widespread, now Narrow (south). AOO=218.4 km². EOO=712333.8 km². 11 locations. Big decline in occupancy over 20th century.

Formerly much of North Africa in mountainous areas from Mauritania to Morocco east through Algeria, Libya, and Egypt and south to Chad, Niger, and Sudan. Range now fragmented but still recorded in reasonable numbers in some regions. In Egypt, formerly over much of the Eastern Desert and the central and south­ern Western Desert including near Kharga, Farafra, and Gebel Uweinat. Now decimated by hunting and possibly extinct in the Western Desert (last record 1972). Anecdotal reports of the species from northeast of Wadi Allaqi in the south of the Eastern Desert where two were reportedly shot illegally by hunters in 1993. Protected by Egyptian Law, but this is poorly enforced.

occurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

United States

Origin: Exotic

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

Global Range: Native to North Africa (western Sahara to western Egypt; Mali to Sudan). Introduced in Spain, northern Mexico, and the U.S. (Grubb, in Wilson and Reeder 1993). In the U.S., the largest populations are in west Texas (e.g., Palo Duro Canyon), New Mexico (e.g., Canadian River gorge and Largo Canyon), and west-central California (Hearst Ranch).

Ammotragus lervia is a relatively large sheep. The main pelage of the Barbary sheep is brown; however, the chin, throat, chest, and insides of the front limbs are covered with long, white hair. This white hair is called the ventral mane and appears as if the sheep had a beard. Sexual dimorphism is evident. Males can be up to 145 kg, while females are much smaller, the largest are up to 65 kg. Both males and females have horns that curve outward, backward, and point inward toward the neck. Females' horns are smaller, but have the same shape (Gray & Simpson, 1980; The Mammals of Texas - Online Edition, 1994).

Range mass: 65 to 145 kg.

Other Physical Features: endothermic ; homoiothermic; bilateral symmetry

Sexual Dimorphism: male larger; ornamentation

Length (male) 175-190cm, (female) 145-160cm; Tail (male) 20-25cm, (female) 15-20cm; Shoulder (male) 90-100cm, (female) 75-90cm; Weight (male) 100-140kg, (female) 40-55kg.

Length: 170 cm

Weight: 145000 grams

Type of the ssp from near Cairo.

• Terrestrial

Ammotragus lervia is endemic to the mountains of Northern Africa. It has also survived in the mountains and canyons of the dry southwestern United States. Barbary sheep live in the desert mountains from sea level up to the edge of the snows.

Barbary sheep are also well adapted to a dry climate. They are able to survive long periods of time without fresh water intake by using metabolic water (Gray & Simpson, 1980; The Mammals of Texas - Online Edition, 1994; Schaller, 1977).

Habitat Regions: temperate ; terrestrial

Terrestrial Biomes: desert or dune ; savanna or grassland ; mountains

Mountainous desert areas, cliffs, etc. Extremely adept climber. Descends to wadis to feed.

Comments: Arid and semiarid habitat to at least 945 m in North Africa. In the southwestern U.S., inhabits canyonlands with gorges 305 m deep at elevations up to 1829 m. Typically in areas with precipitous topography.

Non-Migrant: No. All populations of this species make significant seasonal migrations.

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.

Barbary sheep are herbivorous, feeding on a variety of vegetation such as grass, forbs, and shrubs. Seasonal variation plays a role in determining their diet. In the winter, grass makes up the majority of food intake, while shrubs are the more common food the rest of the year (The Mammals of Texas - Online Edition, 1994).

Plant Foods: leaves

Primary Diet: herbivore (Folivore )

Comments: Diet changes seasonally. In New Mexico, woody browse and grasses were major food source in spring, summer and fall; grasses were principal winter food.

Minimum home range size of one radio-collared male in Texas 0.98 sq km in winter, 19.26 sq km in summer. Population density 0.4-2.4 per sq km in different areas of U.S. (Gray and Simpson 1983). Competes with native ungulates.

Little known in Egypt. As with most desert herbivores, active mainly in early morning and late afternoon/evening. By day seeks shade. Lives in small groups of 3-6. Herbivo­rous, feeding mainly on Tamarix, Capparis, Acacia and Citrullus, also on seeds, leaves, buds and tubers. Probably less tied to water than Ibex and may be able to obtain enough moisture from food. Will drink if water is available. Predators largely exterminated but Leopard and Caracal Felis caracal may still be present in southern Eastern Desert. Mates Sept-Nov when male guards female; pregnancy 150-165 days; 1-3 young per litter, suckled for up to 8 months.

Average lifespan

Status: captivity: 20.9 years.

Average lifespan

Status: wild: 10.0 years.

Average lifespan

Status: captivity: 20.0 years.

During estrus, females lick the sides of the prospective mate. The animals may touch muzzles. The male mounts the female and achieves copulation. Males defend groups of females from other males.

Mating System: polygynous

Breeding usually occurs from September through November, but the timing can vary. Gestation lasts about 160 days, so most lambs are born between March and May. However, births have been seen as late as November. Most births produce a single offspring, but twins are born one out of every six or seven births.

The timing of sexual maturity varies among males. Sperm were found in one male at eleven months; however, this is probably not the norm. Females are considered sexually mature at 19 months; however, females as young as 8 months of age have produced offspring.

Breeding interval: Breeding occurs once yearly.

Breeding season: Breeding occurs from September to November.

Range number of offspring: 1 to 2.

Average number of offspring: 1.01.

Range gestation period: 5.17 to 5.5 months.

Average gestation period: 5.33 months.

Range weaning age: 4 (low) months.

Average weaning age: 4 months.

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 19 months.

Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); fertilization (Internal ); viviparous

Average birth mass: 4500 g.

Average number of offspring: 1.2.

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female)

Sex: female: 335 days.

Parental Investment: extended period of juvenile learning

Most matings occur during autumn rut, September-November, but some occur throughout the year. Gestation lasts 22-23 weeks. Up to 84% of births occur March-May. Females produce 1, sometimes 2, more rarely 3, young.

Commercially grown and wild populations of Barbary sheep are legally hunted in New Mexico and Texas (Gray & Simpson, 1980).

US Federal List: no special status

CITES: appendix ii

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: vulnerable

Native, resident.

Critically Endangered (A2, B2 a,b i,ii); declared Extinct by IUCN in the 1990s, but new records show it is still extant.

Rare.

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: NNA - Not Applicable

Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure

It is currently unknown as to whether the Barbary sheep will become a pest like many other introduced species. It has been suggested that Barbary sheep would compete directly with mule deer for food. They might also affect the attempt at reintroduction of bighorn sheep. These two species may not survive in the same environment because of direct competition for food and other resources. Barbary sheep have been found feeding on winter wheat crops in Texas (Mammals of Texas - Online Edition, 1994).

In the United States, Barbary sheep are commercially bred to be used for sport hunting. Nomads of the Sahara depend on Barbary sheep for meat, hide, hair, sinews, and horns (Gray & Simpson, 1980).

Positive Impacts: food ; body parts are source of valuable material

Comments: See Georgiadis et al. (1991) for a phylogeny of the Bovidae based on allozyme divergence among 27 species. See Kraus and Miyamoto (1991) for a phylogenetic analysis of pecoran ruminants (Cervidae, Bovidae, Moschidae, Antilocapridae, and Giraffidae) based on mitochondrial DNA data. Some authors have included the genus Ammotragus in the genus Capra, but most authors have retained these as separate genera (e.g., Jones et al. 1992; Grubb, in Wilson and Reeder 1993, 2005).