Sheep or lamb (Ovis)

Sheep or sheep (Ovis) is one of the four-legged ruminants with thick hair that is known to many. Sheep were one of the first types of animals to be domesticated for agricultural purposes and raised for their hair (called wool), meat and milk. The most familiar breed of sheep is the domesticated sheep (Ovis aries), which is thought to have descended from the wild moufflon from South and South-West Central Asia. For other types of sheep and their close relatives, see antelope goat. Sheep are different from goats.

Being an important animal in the history of agriculture, the sheep has a special place in human culture which is further embodied in modern language and symbology. Sheep are listed in many mythologies—such as the Golden Fleece—and in major religions, particularly the Abrahamic religious traditions. In ancient and modern religious rituals, sheep are used as offering animals.