Who is the mouflon? A wild animal, which is considered the oldest representative of the animal world, is called a mouflon. He is the founder of the domestic sheep. Outwardly similar to a ram, the main similarity lies in large rounded horns and thick coat.
Description
Mouflon - an animal that is on the verge of extinction. The wild mouflon is small in size. The height of an adult is ninety centimeters, and the body length is 1 meter 30 cm. Males are larger than females. The first weigh about 50 kg (also due to heavy horns), and the second - 30 kg. Interestingly, the age of the wild individual is determined by the ring-shaped growths on the horns. In females, horns are often small. The hair of an animal changes color depending on the time of year. In summer, it acquires a red color, in winter - dark. The mouflon (wild ram) has an unusual structure of horns and valuable fur, therefore, in many countries where these amazing animals live, they are hunted.
Due to the fact that the number of mouflons is rapidly declining due to human faults, this species of sheep is listed in the Red Book. Mouflon is a rare and beautiful animal that requires protection from mass extermination. The wild eastern ram (Asian species) differs from the European one in its massive structure. These artiodactyls have a beard on their faces. Body length 1 m 50 cm, height 95 cm, male weighs up to 80 kg, females 45 kg. The male horns are powerful, strongly curled back, the sternum is white.
Mouflon is also called the "last ram of Europe", because there are few individuals left. This animal belongs to the family of bovids. The legs of the mouflon are long and thin, the head is raised up, hunchbacked and proportional.
Where dwells
If you look at the photo, the mouflon looks remotely like a ram. He lives in the mountains. There are two varieties of this breed that differ from each other in places of distribution: these are wild Asian and European. The latter species lives mainly on the mountain coast of the Mediterranean Sea (in Corsica, Cyprus, Sardinia). European lives and breeds in Iraq and Armenia.
Artiodactyls are also found on the island of Crimea. There he lives mainly in nature reserves and adapted to the local climate as much as possible. In the countries of Europe lives in natural conditions, but not many individuals remain. The Asian mouflon, unlike the European one, has a massive body structure, the horns are more twisted backwards. This artiodactyl lives in South Asia: Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan.
Mouflons were introduced to Crimea at the beginning of the 20th century. Weather conditions and climate contributed to their acclimatization, so they successfully took root on the peninsula. Artiodactyls began to breed, but after some time poachers began to hunt them. Due to the destruction of wild sheep in the Crimea, only eight individuals remained. To preserve the population, in 1923 they decided to open a reserve. There animals are under constant protection, this helped to preserve and increase the number of artiodactyls.
Now the reserve has more than thirty sheep. All the conditions for a comfortable life of mouflons are created on the territory, because they prefer gentle mountain slopes, open spaces, mountain-steppe vegetation. Try to avoid these artiodactyls of very narrow gorges, steep slopes, high rocks.
European mouflon mainly lives in Spain and in the southern regions of France. He loves open spaces, small mountain slopes. The European individual is modest in size, but they can jump two or three meters in height. The feature of the artiodactyl is that it can live long without water.
What eats
Mouflon is a herbivore, the main part of its diet is herbs and cereals. Often he eats on agricultural fields, destroying the crop. Mouflons feast on sedge, leek, feather grass, berries, mushrooms, lichen, moss. In winter, animals extract plant roots from under the snow.
Lifestyle
Mouflon is a wild, freedom-loving animal; therefore, it prefers to migrate rather than settle strictly in one locality. Its main route is a watering place and pastures. Mouflons lead mainly a nocturnal lifestyle; during the day they rest in the forests or wide mountain gorges. Females with cubs live in a herd of up to one hundred individuals. Males prefer loneliness; they can be found in the herd only during mating periods. These artiodactyls have a strict hierarchy. Young males under three years old do not allow mature individuals to mate. The enemies of the mouflon include wild predators: lynx, steppe wolf and wolverine.
Breeding
Mouflon females are capable of reproducing offspring from two years old. Pregnancy lasts five months. Most often, one or two mouflon cubs are born. On the first day of their life, they are free to move around. The birth of offspring occurs in the spring months in most cases. The life expectancy of this artiodactyl is about fifteen years. European mouflons breed well in captivity, and Asian mouflons do poorly.
A man is actively engaged in sheep breeding. The meat, skin and coat of this animal are highly regarded. In taste, mouflon meat is superior to ordinary lamb. In winter, the coat of artiodactyls becomes dense and dense. In northern countries, fur coats are made from it. Artiodactyls are actively bred on farms, due to the valuable qualities of these animals. The Asian species does not have such a high value, its meat is less tasty and healthy.
Features
If you know the lifestyle of this wild ram, then you can deal with its acclimatization and independent breeding. Mouflon successfully crossed with ordinary sheep. This selection allows you to breed a new stable breed that gives tasty meat. For example, academician Ivanov M.F. with the help of a mouflon brought up a mountain merino. This is a new breed of sheep, which can graze on pastures in the mountains for a whole year. To improve the quality of domestic sheep, mouflons are used for crossing and further breeding.
Sometimes "mouflon" is called a stupid person who does not have an opinion. In a certain context, this word sounds most offensive. Do not use it in a speech when referring to someone (even as a joke) if you are afraid to offend a person.