Audad, Aaddan, Waddan, Arui, Arruis, Aoudad
The Barbary sheep (Ammotragus lervia) is a species of caprine native to rocky mountains in North Africa. Although it is rare in its native North Africa, it has been introduced to North America, southern Europe, and elsewhere. Aoudad is another name for this animal, a name used by the Berbers, who are natives of North Africa.
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CrepuscularCrepuscular animals are those that are active primarily during twilight (that is, the periods of dawn and dusk). This is distinguished from diurnal...
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HerbivoreA herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example, foliage, for the main component of its die...
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FolivoreIn zoology, a folivore is a herbivore that specializes in eating leaves. Mature leaves contain a high proportion of hard-to-digest cellulose, less ...
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GraminivoreIn zoology, a graminivore (not to be confused with a granivore) is an herbivorous animal that feeds primarily on grass. Graminivory is a form of g...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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PrecocialPrecocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
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GrazingGrazing is a method of feeding in which a herbivore feeds on plants such as grasses, or other multicellular organisms such as algae. In agriculture...
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NomadicNomadic animals regularly move to and from the same areas within a well-defined range. Most animals travel in groups in search of better territorie...
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TerritorialA territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
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ViviparousAmong animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
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BrowsingBrowsing is a type of herbivory in which an herbivore (or, more narrowly defined, a folivore) feeds on leaves, soft shoots, or fruits of high-growi...
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PolygynyPolygyny is a mating system in which one male lives and mates with multiple females but each female only mates with a single male.
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Dominance hierarchyA dominance hierarchy (formerly and colloquially called a pecking order) is a type of social hierarchy that arises when members of animal social gr...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withBarbary sheep are sandy-brown, darkening with age, with a slightly lighter underbelly and a darker line along the back. Upper parts and the outer parts of the legs are a uniform reddish- or grayish-brown. Some shaggy hair is on the throat (extending down to the chest in males) with a sparse mane. Their horns have a triangular cross-section. The horns curve outward, backward, then inward, and can exceed 76 cm (30 in) in length. The horns are fairly smooth, with slight wrinkles evident at the base as the animal matures.
Barbary sheep are found in northern Africa, from Morocco and the Western Sahara, east to Sudan and Egypt. They live in arid hill and mountainous areas. Within this rugged, rocky terrain, they select areas with the shade of a cave, a rocky overhang, or a tree, where they go during the hottest part of the day.
These animals live in small groups, usually with one dominant male and several females. Males compete for breeding dominance, though males of different ages can live quite well together. An adult male must earn his position heading a group of females by means of intimidation displays, by showing the magnificent mane of hair, and fierce fights where two males stand as far as 15 meters apart, then walk quickly toward each other, lowering their heads and breaking into a run to collide with each other. Living in desert areas, these sheep are usually most active during dawn and dusk, attempting to remain in the shade or shelter during the day when it is hot. When threatened, they usually do not run from a predator but stand extremely still so that they blend in with the surroundings.
Barbary sheep are herbivorous (folivorous, graminivorous), eating a range of vegetation such as shrubs, grass, and forbs. In the winter, they mostly eat grass, shrubs being more common for the rest of the year.
Barbary sheep are polygynous breeders, which mean that males mate with more than one female. Although able to breed at any time during the year, the peak for breeding is between September and November. Gestation is for about 160 days, and one or two young are produced. Females can give birth twice a year. Young are well-developed at birth and learn climbing and jumping to match their parents’ skills at a very early age. Newborns are almost able to negotiate the rocky hills as soon as they are born. Although they nurse for around 6 weeks, they start to eat grass at just 1 week old. These sheep generally live in small family groups of one adult male and female, along with their young of various ages. Females become reproductively mature at 19 months of age, though females only 8 months old have produced offspring.
The major threats across the range to Barbary sheep include habitat destruction and poaching, mainly from livestock grazing, collection of wood for fuel, and desertification and drought. In the Western Sahara, soldiers hunting these animals have been a major threat, and the Barbary sheep might already be extinct in this region. The decline of this species has no doubt been increased by competition with feral camels and livestock.
According to the IUCN Red List, the total Barbary sheep population size is approximately 5,000-10,000 individuals. The total population in Morocco is 800 - 2,000 animals and in Algeria there are several thousand individuals. In Niger in the Air and Tenere National Nature Reserve there are 3,500 animals, and outside the reserve, 700 individuals. Overall, currently this species is classified as Vulnerable (VU) and its numbers today are decreasing.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...