Gioca STEMAnimals

Animals · Farm and household friends

Sheep

Ovis aries

Teeth reveal the age of a sheep

A domestic sheep grazing; behind it the rest of the flock, because it always lives in groups.
A domestic sheep grazing; behind it the rest of the flock, because it always lives in groups.
  • Status: Safe
  • Pastures and herds on every continent, raised by humans

Photos and pictures

6 pictures: tap to see them large.

Numbers

Weight
165 lb (75 kg)average between 110 and 220 lb, highly variable by breed, sex, and age
Length
51 in (1.3 m)from 47 to 59 in
Height
37 in (94 cm)height at shoulder, from 28 to 47 in
Lifespan
17 yearspossible lifespan, 16 to 19 years
Height at shoulder
47 in (1.2 m)maximum value, range starts from 28 in
Longevity
19 yearsupper limit
Permanent incisors
8 teethcompleted around the fourth year, all in the lower jaw

Ten fun facts

  1. That the Latin word pecus referred to small livestock and today sheep specifically means the adult female of the species.

  2. That an adult male sheep is called a ram, while a young sheep under one year of age is called a lamb.

  3. That a sheep has no upper incisors, possessing a hard bony pad instead, just like all other bovids.

  4. That a lamb is born with eight baby teeth and develops a complete set of permanent teeth by four years old.

  5. That thick wool distorts body size measurements, making size data truly reliable only after the sheep has been sheared.

  6. That newborn lambs do not have woolly fleece yet and their hair can be very dark, sometimes nearly black.

  7. That sheep are shy but possess excellent memories and learn quickly, proving that their foolish reputation is completely undeserved.

  8. That the most prized wool breeds include the Merino, the long-fibered Dishley Leicester, the Lincoln, and the Doron.

  9. That sheep milk is exceptionally high in fat content and is primarily used to make pecorino and ricotta cheeses.

  10. That in 1996, Dolly became the very first mammal successfully cloned from an adult cell, and she was a sheep.

The quiz answers

The first one is the question printed in your book: here is the answer. The other four are extra.

Question 1 of 5★ this one is in your book

Where do a sheep's incisors grow?

Question 2 of 5

What is an adult male sheep called?

Question 3 of 5

How long can a sheep live?

Question 4 of 5

Why is it difficult to measure a sheep?

Question 5 of 5

Which of these is a famous breed known for wool?

Try it yourself

Experiment 1

Borrow a small mirror and count your front incisor teeth. You have eight of them, which is the exact same number as an adult four-year-old sheep.

Experiment 2

Step on a bathroom scale and compare your weight to the 110 to 220 pounds of an adult sheep. You might weigh about the same.

Experiment 3

Measure 47 inches up from the floor against a wall. That is the shoulder height of a large sheep, not even counting its head.

Data from Wikidata (Q7368) and Wikipedia (Sheep).