Sheep

Morphology:

• Body length: 63-127 cm
• Weight: 45-60cm
• Average lifespan: 10–12 years

Occurrence:

Worldwide

Habitat:

Inhabits various environments

Food:

Grass, Leaves, Turnips, Grain, Hay

Reproduction:

• Sexual maturity: A few months after birth
• Breeding season: August-January (repeated every 10-14 days until mating occurs)
• Gestation period: Approximately 148 days
• Number of offspring: One, sometimes two

Population:

Estimated population in Poland: approximately 22.8 thousand in 2014, and worldwide approximately 1.17 billion in 2014.

Species protection:

This species has not yet been assigned to any risk category according to IUCN criteria.

Interesting fact:

The ancestor of this species is the mouflon from 11,000 years ago. Domestication of sheep occurred around 6-8 thousand BCE in western Asia.