Barbary Sheep

Native to the arid and rocky mountains of North Africa, the Barbary Sheep is identified by its sandy-brown coat, which darkens with age, as well as by the shaggy hair on its throat, sparse mane and horns with a triangular cross section. It used to be subject to predation by leopards, lions and caracals but now, only humans threaten its populations.

While rare in its native North Africa, the Barbary Sheep has been introduced to Spain, the United States, Mexico and some other parts of Africa. Part of its adaptability stems from the fact that it can obtain all of its metabolic water needs from food (grasses, bushes and lichen) with no need for liquid water; however, if available, it will drink and wallow in groundwater.