Binghamton Zoo Animals

Mouflon

(Ovis musimon)
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Bovidae
Genus: Ovis
Species: Ovis musimon

HABITAT AND RANGE: The mouflon is thought to be one of two original ancestors of all modern day sheep. It originated on the islands of Corsica, Sardina, and Cyprus, but has recently been introduced in much of Europe. Like most wild sheep, the mouflon lives in mountainous terrain, usually above the tree line or in mountain meadows. In Corsica it lives on steep-sided rocky peaks, where it is protected from predators.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS: They are medium-sized sheep with the adult males averaging around 120 pounds. Mouflon are 4-5 feet long, and they stand about 2-4 feet tall at the shoulder. The males are horned and the females are horned or polled. The horns on the male are usually around 25 inches in length. They are usually red-brown with a dark back-stripe, light colored saddle patch and underparts. They have a coarse, heavy coat that hides a woolly under fur in the winter.

ADAPTATIONS: The females are social and remain in groups, while the males are solitary for part of the year. Mouflon exhibit sexual segregation with the females out-competing the males for available resources. This is because the ewes health is more important than the rams for reproduction. The longevity of an individual depends on the population's status. In a declining or stable population, with low reproduction most sheep live over 10 years with a maximum life span of 20 years. In an expanding population, with heavy reproduction the average life span is only 6-7 years.

DIET: Like most wild sheep, Mouflon go through a rut in late autumn and early winter. The males are in a strict dominance hierarchy based on age and size of horns. Ritualized crashing of their horns together allows dominance to be re-enforced. The dominant rams then court the estrous females before mating. The ewes do not breed until they are 2-3 years of age and the males don't breed until approximately 7 years of age due to social factors. The gestation period is 210 days. The young females remain with the mother's group, while the males are forced into their own group by 2-4 years of age. Ewes can either be primiparous (birth to 1 lamb) or multiparous (birth to more than 1 lamb), with the later having better reproductive success.

REPRODUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT: Like most wild sheep, Mouflon go through a rut in late autumn and early winter. The males are in a strict dominance hierarchy based on age and size of horns. Ritualized crashing of their horns together allows dominance to be re-enforced. The dominant rams then court the estrous females before mating. The ewes do not breed until they are 2-3 years of age and the males don't breed until approximately 7 years of age due to social factors. The gestation period is 210 days. The young females remain with the mother's group, while the males are forced into their own group by 2-4 years of age. Ewes can either be primiparous (birth to 1 lamb) or multiparous (birth to more than 1 lamb), with the later having better reproductive success.

STATUS IN WILD: Over the last 50 years the mouflon numbers have fallen due to habitat loss, hunting, and interbreeding with domestic sheep. Sardina population dropped to 700 in 1975, but appears to be making a low comeback. Corsica has about 200-500 mouflon and Cyprus has even less. These island populations are listed as vulnerable by the World Conservation Union (IUCN). This means that there are restrictions on hunting, or trapping the mouflon to sell in the wild. Introduced herds on the mainland are thriving, however.