23,142 observationsNNA
Sheep
Ovis aries
Taxonomy
Kingdom: Animalia ›Phylum: Chordata ›Class: Mammalia ›Order: Artiodactyla ›Family: Bovidae ›Genus: Ovis
About
The sheep (Ovis aries) is a quadrupedal, ruminant mammal typically kept as livestock. Like all ruminants, sheep are members of the order Artiodactyla, the even-toed ungulates. Although the name "sheep" applies to many species in the genus Ovis, in everyday usage it almost always refers to Ovis aries. Numbering a little over one billion, domestic sheep are also the most numerous species of sheep. An adult female sheep is referred to as a ewe (/juː/), an...