AOUDAD

also called Barbary Sheep (Ammotragus lervia), north African sheep, family Bovidae (order Artiodactyla). The only wild sheep in Africa, the aoudad stands about 102 centimetres (40 inches) at the shoulder. It has a fringe of long, soft hair hanging from its throat and forequarters and has semicircular horns that curve outward, back, and then inward over the neck. Both fringe and horns are more pronounced in the male. The aoudad lives in dry, mountainous or broken country and associates in small family groups. It can go without water for about five days. When threatened, the aoudad stands motionless and is concealed by its tawny brown coat, which blends with the surrounding rocks.