Sheep is a common name for any of the quadruped ruminants of the genus Ovis
which, with its allies, the goats, forms the subfamily Caprinae of the
family Bovidae. Wild sheep are
native to mountainous regions or to elevated tablelands. The mountains
and plateaus of central Asia are the borne of several notable species.
Marco Polo's sheep,
Ovis poli, stands about 50 inches high at the
shoulder, and is unique in that the horns form an open spiral, with the tips pointing outward, instead of curving in essentially the same plane. The argali,
Ovis ammon, is native to the same region; its horns, although larger than those of Marco Polo's sheep, are not so spectacular in lateral spread. The aoudad of North Africa and the bighorn of North America are about the same size as the Siberian species, and the mouflon,
Ovis musimon, of the mountains in Greece and the
Mediterranean islands, is considerably smaller. Most wild sheep have a coat consisting of short wool and long, straight hair. The hair has been lost in the domestic breeds, and selective breeding has increased the length and abundance of wool.
The common sheep,
Ovis aries, was domesticated by man in Asia and Europe before recorded history, and introduced into the Western Hemisphere during the explorations following the discoveries of Christopher Columbus. The common sheep is raised principally for its wool and its flesh; the skin is used for fine leather. In the mountainous parts of India and in Tibet the sheep is used as a beast of burden.
