Domestic Sheepヒツジ

Ovis ariesNE— Not Evaluated

The domestic sheep is one of humanity's oldest livestock species, descended from the wild mouflon and domesticated in Mesopotamia roughly 11,000 years ago. A grazing herbivore with a strongly gregarious flocking instinct and an unusually wide field of vision, it has since spread worldwide, with a global population exceeding a billion animals raised for wool, meat, and milk.

Domestic Sheep (reference photo)
Photo: Bramans / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Source / cropped

Species Data

Classification
Artiodactyla / Bovidae Source
Weight
Females about 45–100 kg, males 45–160 kg
Lifespan
Average 10–12 years (some individuals live up to 20)
Diet
Herbivore Herbivorous ruminant, feeding mainly on grass as well as bark, buds, and flowers; eats a wide range of plants
Activity
Diurnal, grazing from dawn to dusk and resting to ruminate in between
Distribution
Descended from wild mouflon of Europe and Asia, sheep were domesticated in Mesopotamia between roughly 11,000 and 9,000 BC and spread worldwide from there. As of 2019, about 1.2 billion domestic sheep were kept globally. Source
Sources
ja.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

Did You Know?

  • Sheep have a remarkably wide field of vision, spanning roughly 270 to 320 degrees, allowing them to see almost directly behind themselves without turning their heads. Source
  • Sheep are strongly gregarious and become highly stressed when separated from the flock. They can also recognize individual sheep and human faces, remembering up to 50 different faces for more than two years. Source
  • In the earliest stages of domestication, sheep were valued mainly for their fat and wool, with meat and milk production only becoming primary uses later—goats had already been domesticated for those purposes first. Source

Where to See This Species

Operating facilities registered on this site: Japan 17

Gokatsuraike Animal ParkMieAbout 10 minutes from the Seiwa-Taki Interchange.

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Shirotori ZooKagawaBy car, about 10 minutes from the Hiketa Interchange on the Takamatsu Expressway via National Route 11 toward Takamatsu.

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Okazakishihigashi Kouen DoubutsuenAichiAbout 1 km toward Toyota from the Okazaki IC on the Tomei Expressway.

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Kyoto City ZooKyotoOpened in 1903

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Kiryuugaoka DoubutsuenGunmaIf driving, set your car navigation to "Kiryugaoka Amusement Park" (Kiryugaoka Yuenchi) rather than "Kiryugaoka Zoo" to reach the parking lot (searching by the zoo name may give an incorrect route).

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Sapporoshimaruyama DoubutsuenHokkaidoOpened in 1951

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Shuunanshitokuyama DoubutsuenYamaguchiOpened in 1960

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Suzaka ZooNaganoFrom the Suzaka-Nagano-Higashi IC on the Joshin-etsu Expressway, take Route 403, turn right at the Kotaka-machi intersection, turn left at the Kami-Hatcho intersection, cross Garyu Bridge, and turn left for the south entrance.

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Sendaishiyagiyama Doubutsu KouenMiyagiTake the Sendai Subway Tozai Line to Yagiyama Zoological Park Station; the zoo is right by the elevator from Central Exit 1 (about 12 minutes from Sendai Station).

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Chiba Zoological ParkChibaOpened in 1985

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Naganoshichausuyama DoubutsuenNaganoThe nearest station is JR Shinonoi Station.

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Tennoji ZooOsakaOpened in 1915

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Iida Shiritsu DoubutsuenNaganoAddress: 33 Ogimachi, Iida, Nagano.

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Hamamatsu Zoological GardensShizuokaOpened in 1950

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Toyamashifamiri ParkToyamaOpened in 1984

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Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical GardensAichiOpened in 1937

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Wakayamajou Kouen DoubutsuenWakayamaOpened in 1919

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Temporarily closed facilities

Satsukiyama DAYZOOOsakaOpened in 1957

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Temporarily closed Official Site

Latest news

6

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Source links to official sites, official YouTube channels, and news aggregators such as Zoo Ring. Visit the publisher for the full item.

Conservation Story

Conservation Status

Not Evaluated (NE)

Sources

ja.wikipedia.org

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FAQ

When were sheep first domesticated?
Sheep were domesticated from wild mouflon in Mesopotamia between about 11,000 and 9,000 BC, making them one of the earliest domesticated livestock species. Source
How good is a sheep's vision?
Sheep have a panoramic field of vision spanning roughly 270 to 320 degrees, letting them watch for predators nearly all the way around themselves without moving their heads. Source
Why do sheep flock together so strongly?
Sheep have a powerful gregarious instinct as a defense against predators and become highly stressed when isolated from the flock; they can also recognize and remember dozens of individual sheep and human faces for years. Source
How many operating facilities are registered here?
Operating facilities registered on this site: Japan 17 Source

Books & gear

Source: ja.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org