Mammal Guide -- Aridland

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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Animal Facts

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.