Marco Polo sheep
| Marco Polo sheep | |
|---|---|
| A pair of Marco Polo sheep in Murghob | |
CITES Appendix II
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | Bovidae |
| Subfamily: | Caprinae |
| Genus: | Ovis |
| Species: | |
| Subspecies: | O. a. polii
|
| Trinomial name | |
| Ovis ammon polii Blyth, 1841
| |
| Synonyms | |
|
Ovis ammon poli | |
The Marco Polo sheep (Ovis ammon polii) is a subspecies of argali sheep, named after Marco Polo. Their habitat are the mountainous regions of Central Asia. Marco Polo sheep are distinguishable mostly by their large size and spiraling horns. Their conservation status is near threatened and efforts have been made to protect their numbers and keep them from being hunted. It has also been suggested that crossing them with domestic sheep could have agricultural benefits.