( Ovis orientalis ): Native to the Caspian region and Europe, these are thought to be the direct ancestors of modern domestic sheep. Key Physical Adaptations

: Their hooves are split and have rough, rubbery bottoms that act like suction cups, allowing them to scale near-vertical cliffs to escape predators.

Wild sheep are the rugged ancestors of the domestic sheep we see on farms today, but they are built for survival in some of the world's most inhospitable terrains. Unlike their domestic cousins, they do not need to be shorn; they naturally shed their lighter summer coats and grow thick, woolly undercoats to survive freezing winters.

Wild sheep are highly social but often live in separate groups: ewes and lambs in "nursery herds," and rams in "bachelor groups".During the autumn mating season, known as the , rams compete for dominance through head-butting battles. They can charge at each other at speeds up to 40 mph, with the impact sound audible from over a mile away. Their skulls are double-layered and reinforced with bone to absorb these massive shocks. Conservation Status