Mammals · Artiodactyla · Bovidae

European Mouflon

Ovis aries musimon

Not Evaluated

It has not yet been assessed against the IUCN criteria. See full glossary

It is regarded as one of the most primitive forms of the domestic sheep, and males grow distinctive spiral horns up to 80 cm long.

Weight

25 kg – 55 kg

Size

up to 1.2 m

Lifespan

10 years

Diet

Herbivore

Feeds mainly on plants.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Herd

Lives in large groups as a strategy against predators.

Sighting difficulty

Unknown

MountainHerbivore Diurnal In herds Mountain Mammal

35countries 6parks86same family

Fun facts

Corsican females have no horns at all, unlike Sardinian ones, which have small curved horns.
It feeds by grazing grasses and browsing mountain shrubs and herbs.
It is native to western Asia but has been widely introduced to continental Europe since antiquity.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Open mountain and wooded country; native to western Asia but widely introduced to continental Europe since antiquity
Birth weight: Born precocial
Size at birth: Born precocial
Sexual maturity: Female: ~1.5 years | Male: 2-3 years, although it does not gain access to breeding until later
Gestation / incubation: ~5 months
Litter / clutch size: 1 young per birth (twins occasional)

Sources consulted: Wikipedia (European mouflon); Wikipedia (Cyprus mouflon, comparative reference)

Where to find it

See its range on the interactive map

Best time: From October to December, during the rut, when the males clash head to head; in Spain there are introduced populations in many mountain ranges.