MOUFLON ESFAHAN Hunting

Ovis gmelini isphahanica

Distribution: Only in Iran, in the mountains near Esfahan. Valdez restricts it to sheep with cervical horns that inhabit the Tange-Sayad and Kolah-Gazi wildlife refuges southwest and southeast of Esfahan; however, for record-keeping, the SCI also accepts sheep from the Mooteh Reserve as Esfahan mouflons.

Description: In winter, males have a full-length black neck ruff extending to the brisket. There is no bib. Saddle patch, mussel, chin, throat and lower part of legs are white. The horns are of two types: those from the Mooteh Wildlife Reserve are supracervical or perverted (they curve above and behind the neck). The other type are cervical, with the tips growing inward toward the neck. The frontal-orbital horn edge is rounded, the frontal-nuchal edge is sharp.

CITES: Not listed.