Domestic Sheepヒツジ

Species Data

Classification

Artiodactyla / Bovidae Source

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

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

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