[5] They are sandy-brown, darkening with age, with a slightly lighter underbelly and a darker line along the back.

The horns are fairly smooth, with slight wrinkles evident at the base as the animal matures.

[6] Barbary sheep are endemic to regions of Northern Africa primarily surrounding the barren center of the Sahara Desert.

Its adaptability enabled it to colonize nearby areas quickly, and private game estates provided other centers of dispersion.

The species is currently expanding, according to recent field surveys, now being found in the provinces of Alicante, Almería, Granada, and Murcia.

Barbary sheep are crepuscular - active in the early morning and late afternoon and rest in the heat of the day.

The binomial name Ammotragus lervia derives from the Greek ἄμμος ámmos ("sand", referring to the sand-coloured coat) and τράγος trágos ("goat").

Aoudad ([ˈɑː.uːdæd]) is the name for this sheep used by the Berbers, a North African people, and it is also called arui and waddan (in Libya).