{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Taxon",
  "slug": "sheep",
  "name": "Domestic Sheep",
  "scientificName": "Ovis aries",
  "category": "Mammal",
  "summary": "The domestic sheep is one of the oldest and most widespread of all livestock, kept for wool, meat, and milk on pasture across every inhabited continent. A gentle, flock-living herbivore that grazes on grasses, forbs, and hay, it weighs anywhere from 45 to 160 kg depending on breed and stands about 1.2 m long. Domestic sheep usually live 10 to 12 years, and pet animals can live longer.",
  "conservationStatus": "Domesticated",
  "taxonomy": {
    "kingdom": "Animalia",
    "phylum": "Chordata",
    "class": "Mammalia",
    "order": "Artiodactyla",
    "family": "Bovidae",
    "genus": "Ovis"
  },
  "stats": {
    "weightKg": 80,
    "lengthM": 1.2,
    "topSpeedKmh": 40,
    "lifespanYears": 12
  },
  "facts": [
    {
      "label": "Scientific name",
      "value": "Ovis aries"
    },
    {
      "label": "Diet",
      "value": "Herbivore — grasses, forbs, and hay"
    },
    {
      "label": "Habitat",
      "value": "Pasture and rangeland on every inhabited continent"
    },
    {
      "label": "Lifespan",
      "value": "10–12 years (longer for pet sheep)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Weight",
      "value": "45–160 kg (100–350 lb); breeds vary enormously"
    },
    {
      "label": "Top speed",
      "value": "Up to 40 km/h (25 mph) in flight"
    },
    {
      "label": "Conservation status",
      "value": "Domesticated (IUCN)"
    }
  ],
  "range": {
    "nativeRange": "Domesticated worldwide; wild mouflon ancestor from Cyprus, Anatolia, and Fertile Crescent.",
    "continents": [
      "Africa",
      "Asia",
      "Europe",
      "North America",
      "Oceania",
      "South America"
    ]
  },
  "sources": [
    {
      "citation": "IUCN Red List — Ovis aries.",
      "url": "https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=Ovis%20aries&searchType=species"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Animal Diversity Web — Ovis aries. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.",
      "url": "https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Ovis_aries/"
    }
  ],
  "lastReviewed": "2026-07-16",
  "canonicalUrl": "https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/sheep/",
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
    "attribution": "Global Animal Guide — https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/sheep/",
    "note": "Free to reuse for non-commercial purposes with attribution and a link back to the canonical page."
  }
}