Ovis aries Linnaeus, 1758 . Syst. Nat., 10th ed., 1:70.

TYPE LOCALITY: Sweden (domesticated stock) .

DISTRIBUTION: S. Turkey; E. Turkey to C. and S.E. Iran; possibly Cyprus.

COMMENT: Includes orientalis; see Nadler et al., 1973, Z. Saugetierk., 38: 109-125. Probably includes musimon (RSH); see Corbet and Hill, 1980:127. Hybridizes with vignei in C. Iran; see Valdez et al., 1978, Evolution, 32:56-72 and Nadler et al., 1971, Cytogenetics, 10: 137-152. Introduced worldwide as domesticate; feral in many places. See also comment under musimon .

PROTECTED STATUS: CITES - Appendix I and U.S. ESA - Endangered as O. orientalis ophion subspecies only.

ISIS NUMBER: 5301419009041007001 as O. aries .

5301419009041006001 as O. orientalis .