These sheep are so named because they can store large amounts of fat in the tail and the region of the rump. They are kept mainly because they make more milk than other types of sheep; but their wool is rough and long, and is mostly used for making carpets. Fat-tailed sheep are found mainly in the very dry parts of Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, and they represent about 25 percent of the sheep in the world. The major breeds are the Awassi, Bakhtiari, Karakul, Ghashghai, and Kermani.