Animal Planet :: Mammal Guide -- Aridland

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Aoudad

This species is also known as the Barbary sheep.

It lives in family units led by a dominant female.

The groups wander from place to place, foraging on grass, herbs, leaves, and twigs.

Like goats, the aoudad is able to rise on its hindlegs to reach the foliage of dwarf acacias.

It is able to obtain most of its water from the plants it eats and by licking the dew off vegetation.

When its predators, the desert lynx and the leopard, were common in its habitat, it could escape them by leaping and bounding across the rocky terrain.

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	Name: Aoudad (Ammotragus lervia) Family: Bovidae (Cattle and Relatives) Range: Isolated populations in northern Africa; introduced and established in United States Habitat: Dry, rocky, barren regions of montane Sahara Diet: Grass, forbs and shrubs Head and Body Length: 4.3 to 6 feet (1.3 to 1.9 m) Tail Length: 6 to 10 inches (15 to 25 cm) Shoulder Height: 29.5 to 44 inches (75 to 112 cm) Weight: 88 to 320 pounds (40 to 145 kg) Life Cycle: Mating year-round, peaks vary by region; gestation 154 to 161 days, one or two young born Description: Reddish-tawny coat; mane on neck and shoulders; long, white hairs on throat, chest and forelegs; crescent-shaped horns Conservation Status: Vulnerable Major Threat: Habitat loss and degradation; hunting What Can I Do?: Visit the African Wildlife Foundation for information on how you can help.