Soay sheep, Culloden Moor.

Soay sheep, St. Kilda, Scotland

Soay sheep are a primitive breed of sheep (Ovis aries) descended from a population of feral sheep on the island of Soay in Scotland. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Culloden (from Gaelic Cul loden, back of the pond) is the name of a village five miles east of Inverness, Scotland and the surrounding area. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Mercator projection map of the St. ... Species See text. ... A feral horse (an American mustang) in Wyoming A feral animal or plant is one that has escaped from domestication and returned, partly or wholly, to its wild state. ... Soay (Gaelic:Soaigh, from the Old Norse so-øy meaning sheep island) is an uninhabited island in the St Kilda archipelago (Outer Hebrides, Scotland, ) in the North Atlantic, about 2 km northwest of Hirta. ... Motto: (Latin) No one provokes me with impunity(English) Wha daur meddle wi me? (Scots)[1] Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official languages English, Gaelic, Scots[2] Government  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister Tony Blair MP  - First Minister Jack McConnell MSP Unification    - by Kenneth I...

They are similar to the Mediterranean mouflon and, although their origins are uncertain, they are believed to have been deposited upon the island, part of the St Kilda archipelago, some time during the Bronze Age. They are much smaller than modern domesticated sheep but are believed to be hardier. A number of Soay sheep were translocated from Soay to the island of Hirta by the Marquess of Bute in the 1930s, after the human population was evacuated. The population is unmanaged and has been the subject of scientific study since the 1950s. The population make an ideal model subject for scientists researching evolution, population dynamics and demography because the population is unmanaged, closed (no emigration or immigration) and has no significant competitors or predators. Binomial name Ovis musimon, Ovis ammon musimon, Ovis orientalis Pallas, 1762 European Mouflon The Mouflon is a species of wild sheep and as such is one of the Caprinae or goat antelopes. It is thought to be one of the two ancestors for all modern domestic sheep breeds[1]. It... Mercator projection map of the St Kilda Island group with inset of the British Isles. ... The Bronze Age is a period in a civilizations development when the most advanced metalworking has developed the techniques of smelting copper from natural outcroppings and alloys it to cast bronze. ... Hirta is the largest island in the Saint Kilda archipelago. ... The title of Marquess of Bute was created in the Peerage of Great Britain in 1796 for the 4th Earl of Bute (in the Peerage of Scotland). ...

Breed Characteristics

The sheep have short tails and naturally shed their wool in the spring and early summer. Ewes are polled, scurred or horned and rams are either horned or scurred. They are most commonly brown or tan with a white belly, white rump patch and/or white patch under the chin (referred to as Mouflon or wild pattern). Occasionally white markings on the face and/or body and legs occur. Rarely self-colored (solid color with no markings) black or tan are also seen.

External Links

• Official associations are the Soay Sheep Society in the UK, and Soays of America in North America.

• Greener Pastures Farm in Southwest Washington state raises American Soay

• Southern Oregon Soay Farms raises foundation British Soay breeding stock

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Soay sheep