Merino Sheep

Merino Sheep

Meet the Merino! This domesticated breed of sheep is known for its fine, high quality wool... but it has a lot of other cool characteristics as well, including a history that takes back over a thousand years, as well as a strong presence in the study of livestock genetics.

But first, let's go over some basic facts. Merino sheep are bred almost exclusively for their wool, and that wool is considered to be the finest in the world. It is so desirable that it is actually the wool that all other wool is compared to, as far as grading goes! The breed is also quite hardy and adapts very well to different climates and habitats. For example, they originated in Spain and North Africa, but are now being bred all over the world, including in Australia, Germany, and New England.

The very first Merino ancestors came through North Africa via Asia thanks to the Phonecians. When the Moors entered Spain in the 8th century they brought sheep with them, and by the 12th century the first foundation flocks were in place. These Spanish sheep bred with existing European breeds, and the Merino was the result.

For hundreds of years Spain had a monopoly on these fine quality sheep, and made a large profit off of the wool. Before the 18th century it was against the law to export them, but that all changed when the members of the nobility (including the King) started to send small flocks to other countries and principalities. The Spanish Merinos even became the bases for new breeds, including the popular Rambouillet.

Booroola Merino Ewe with Quadruplets

It was a good thing the Merinos eventually made it out of Spain, because the industry was almost completely obliterated there during the Napoleonic Wars. Since 1810, Australia, the United States, and Germany have been the top countries for the breed. There are now a handful of different strains, including the Peppin, Delaine, and the Booroola.

The Booroola Merino has been studied at a genetic level because they posses a gene called Booroola FecB.   (Named for the Australian ranch that it was discovered on back in the 1950s) This gene has allowed the strain to be one of the most prolifically breeding sheep strains in the world. While most sheep have one or maybe two lambs at a time, Booroola Merinos often have triplets or even quadruplets. Some have even have sextuplets! Introducing Merinos with the FecB gene can substantially increase birthrates without needing to introduce traits from other breeds that have high births, but less desirable wool.

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Status : Domesticated
Location : Originated in Spain
Size : Varies, but males can weigh up to 130lbs (59kg)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Artiodactyla
Family : Bovidae -- Genus : Ovis -- Species : O. aries

Pyrenean Ibex

Capra pyrenaica pyrenaica

The Pyrenean Ibex is an extinct subspecies of Spanish Ibex. No one is really sure why they went extinct, though there are a number of different hypotheses floating around, including the inability to compete with livestock and other species, hunting, and disease.

The last Pyrenean Ibex died only a decade ago. Efforts were made before that to try and place individuals in captivity, or to even crossbreed them with other subspecies, but these actions failed. The last male died in 1993, and the last female, a 13 year old named Celia, died in 2000 after being crushed by a tree.

Luckily, tissue samples were collected from Celia before her death, and using those cells scientists worked to clone the Ibex back into existence. Efforts in 2003 failed, and no infants were carried to term. However, in 2009 a young Pyrenean Ibex was born, making it the first animal to become un-extinct. Unfortunately the kid died shortly after birth from a lung defect.

The short-lived success of the Pyrenean Ibex cloning program demonstrates the possibilities that exist for preserving and reviving rare and extinct species. While cloning Woolly Mammoths is still a dream, there are several agencies that are preserving samples from the world's endangered species, including the Frozen Ark Project.

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IUCN Status : Extinct since 2000

Location : France and Spain
Size : Height up to 29in (75cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Artiodactyla
Family : Bovidae -- Genus : Capra -- Species : C. pyrenaica -- Subspecies : C. p. pyrenaica

Chamois

Ah, the Chamois, one of my favorite quadrupeds. How could one not be smitten with their cute little backwards "J" horns?

Rupicapra rupicapra

Chamois (pronounced Sham-Wah!) are antelope-like goats that can be found throughout Europe. In fact, there are more than half a dozen location-based subspecies, all of which live in mountainous areas. They inhabit ranges from the Alps in France, all the way over in the Caucasians and Carpathians. They have also been introduced to New Zealand. It is unsurprising that, due to their mountainous lifestyle, they have developed great speed and agility over the steep terrain.

Female Chamois and their young live in small groups, while the adult males are solitary and only interact with others during the breeding season. Males will fight fiercely for the right to breed, and will drive away the young males from the family groups, occasionally killing them!

Interestingly, Chamois are not hunted for their meat, as many other ungulates are. Rather, their skin is very sought after, and produces a very soft, absorbent, and non-abrasive. This cloth is often spelled as "Chamois," but is pronounced like "Shammy." Chamois are protected in many countries, but hunted is still allowed in restricted numbers.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : Europe
Size : Height up to 30in (75cm), Wieght up to 60lbs (27kg)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Artiodactyla
Family : Bovidae -- Genus : Rupicapra -- Species : R. rupicapra

Bharal

Pseudois nayaur

The Bharal is one of those animals that goes by many different common names. Nabo, Naur, and Himalayan Blue Sheep are all some of the different monikers given to the species. Why so many names? Well, the Bharal lives in Central and East Asia, so different countries with different languages refer to the animal in different ways.

Bharal live in the Himalaya Mountains, as well as in other mountainous regions of China. They can be found at altitudes of between 10,000 and 18,000ft. They graze on the mountain slopes, and their grey coats give them excellent camouflage against predators. If they feel threatened, the Bharal stand perfectly still, blending in with the rocks. If that defensive tactic doesn't work, they can scamper up the cliffs with their sure-footed hooves before trying to blend in again. Of course, they can't always escape from predators. They make up a huge portion of the Snow Leopards' diet, and it is estimated that the Leopards consume between 11% and 24% of the Bharal population every year.

The rutting season lasts from November to January, and during that time males will chase and fight each other for the right to mate with the females. The calves are born 5-6 months later. Both male and female Bharal have horns, but those of the male larger.

It is believed that the Bharal are common in their range, which is why they are listed as being of Least Concern. It is, however, difficult to monitor their population due to their remote habitat and high elevation lifestyle. They do occur in several National Parks.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : North America
Size : Height up to 3ft (90cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Artiodactyla
Family : Bovidae -- Genus : Pseudois -- Species : P. nayaur

Pygora Goat

Pygora Doe

New breeds of domesticated animal are being created created all the time, and today's animal is one that is relatively recent. The Pygora Goat has only had an official association since 1987, and has been in existence only a few years longer than that. That makes them quite young for a breed, especially when compared to the Angora goats that they are derived from, which have existed for thousands of years.

Pygora Goats are a breed created from crossing small Pygmy Goats with the larger Angora Goats. They have the fine goats of the latter, with the compact size of the former. They were first bred by Katherine Jorgensen in Oregon, and the breed has since spread from there. A registered Pygora Goat cannot be more than 75% Angora or 75% Pygmy.

Three distinct fleece types come from the Pygora Goats-- a soft cashmere-like fleece (Type C), a longer, denser Mohair-like fleece (Type C), and a combination of the two (Type B). Fleeces of all types can be used for spinning and knitting, and they produce very soft, fine goods. Pygora Goats do also produce milk, up to a quart a day. 

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Status : Domesticated
Location : Originated in the United States
Size : Weight up to 95lbs (43kg)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Artiodactyla
Family : Bovidae -- Genus : Capra -- Species : C. aegagrus -- Subspecies : C. a. hircus

West Caucasian Tur

Capra caucasica

The West Caucasian Tur might look very familiar to you, cause it definitely did to me! At first glance I thought it was an Ibex, and that guess wasn't too far off. Turs and Ibxes belong to the exact same genus, and there is even quite a bit of taxonomic uncertainty floating around about how genetically distinct all the Turs and Ibexes actually are.

As the name suggests, these Turs can be found on the western side of the Caucasus Mountains, and they occur primarily within Russia. They are alpine dwellers, and inhabit areas 2,600-13,000ft above sea level (800-4,000m). Males tend to live at higher altitudes than the females, possibly because those areas are harder to navigate with young calves.

West Caucasian Turs feed on over 100 different species of plant. They primarily graze during the summer and browse during the winter. This is because the snowfall can become quite dense, even at the lower altitudes that they travel to during that season, and digging for vegetation can be difficult, even with their strong legs.

Breeding season takes place during those winter months, and kids are born in late spring/early summer. While some ungulates go off and give birth in secluded, inaccessible areas, Tur mothers have their kids right out in the open, and their offspring are able to climb along with the rest of the group by the end of the day!

It is estimated that there are less than 6,000 of these goat-antelopes left in the wild. Hunting, competition from livestock, and habitat loss have all led to their population decline. They do occur in protected areas, but poaching continues.

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IUCN Status : Endangered
Location : Caucasus Mountains
Size : Height around 39in (1m), Weight up to 140lbs (65kg)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Artiodactyla
Family : Bovidae -- Genus : Capra -- Species : C. caucasica