* Threatened or Endangered
Aoudad *
: Ammotragus lervia
: Mammal
: Mauritania, Morocco, southern Algeria, northwest Chad and Sudan Diet: Grasses, bushes, lichen and leaves
: Grasses, bushes, lichen and leaves
: Weight 100 - 300 lbs.
: Vulnerable
• Considered vulnerable in its native habitats, aoudads have done remarkably well in areas where they have been introduced, including Texas, New Mexico, California, Spain, and the Canary Islands. • Also called barbary sheep.
• Males and females are very similar in appearance. Males are somewhat larger and have thicker horns.
• In northern Africa, their main predators are leopards and caracals.
• Because aoudad can be very efficient at establishing themselves into new habitats, they can also be a detriment to plant and mammal populations where land space is limited, such as island habitats.
• Acclimated to dry desert life, these animals can obtain all the moisture they need from plants.