BOVIDAE
			Animal: Phylum: Class: Order: Family: Species: Cattle; Sheep; Goat Chordata Mammalia Artiodactyla Bovidae Cattle:/Sheep Ovis aries/ Goat: Caprahircus

The sheep was probably first domesticated by man as long as 12,000 years ago. It is still not certain what its wild ancestors were but it is most likely that the domestic sheep we see today comes from the mouflon and the urial.

There are now over 400 breeds of domestic sheep, providing a huge variation in size, shape, color, and types of fleece. The Merino sheep, farmed in Australia, the United States, Russia, South Africa, Argentina, France, and Germany, provides the best wool, while sheep from other countries are often bred to supply both meat and wool. There are some sheep, however, such as the East Friesian and the La Razza Sarda of Sardinia, which are bred mainly for their milk.

There are several species of goat, including the ibex and markhor. The wild goat, from which the domesticated goat came, ranges from southern Europe through southwestern Asia to Pakistan. It usually lives in herds of 5 to 20 individuals in rugged or mount ainous country, each herd being led by an old female. Agile and sure-footed, these goats are excellent climbers and often climb trees. They have been known to jump onto the backs of donkeys to reach otherwise inaccessible boughs.

The head and body of the wild goat measures about 54 in. (137 cm). The animal stands 36 in. (90 cm) at the shoulder and weighs up to 260 lb. (120 kg). The females are smaller than the males. The horns of the males are sweeping, scimitar-shaped and up to 5 0 in. (130 cm) long. The horns of females are shorter and more slender. The coat is typically reddish-brown in summer and grayish-brown in winter, with black markings on the body and limbs.