Urial Ovis (orientalis) vignei

The Urial, with subspecies called the Transcaspian Urial and Afghan Red Sheep (among others), are wild sheep from mountainous regions of western Central Asia.

They are closely related to Mouflon, the ancestors of most domestic sheep. They have reddish coats that are darker in summer and paler in winter. Only the male has the large, spiral horns and long neck ruff. The largest males can reach some 90 cm at the shoulder (just short of 3 feet). Males usually have black chest fur, often hidden by their white or off-white beard.

The female (ewe) can have small horns or no horns.

They live on hilly grassland slopes rather than rocky mountains. The taxonomy of the Mouflon and Urial is complex, with some authorities naming one species with multiple subspecies, others naming two species: the Urial (Ovis vignei) and the Mouflon (Ovis orientalis), with subspecies and some with more distinct species.