Postcard - Aoudad Ram

Aoudad Sheep

Ammotragus lervia, Greiner Ranch, Kerr County, Texas
Non-native (Exotic) wildlife species were first introduced to Texas in Kerr and Llano Counties in the late forties. Transplanting saved species endangered in their own countries. Today, there are more exotics in the Texas Hill Country than countries of origin. One of the species preserved is the Aoudad (Barbary Sheep), which originated in the mountains of North Africa. Not actually a sheep, it is genetically closer to the goat and antelope. Weighing up to 320 pounds, male rams have horns that grow their entire lives, 10 to 15 years. The herbivore lives in small herds of less than 30. This species may have been sacrificed by Abraham in place of his son, Issac. (Genesis 22:13)