Mouflon scientific literature as separate species, "Ovis musimon" and "Ovis orientalis". The mouflons are also sometimes treated as a subspecies of the domestic sheep, "Ovis aries", named with the same subspecific epithet as above: "O. a. musimon", "O. a. ophion", etc. Based on comparison of mitochondrial cytochrome b gene sequences, three groups of sheep ("Ovis") have been identified: Pachyceriforms of Siberia (snow sheep) and North America (bighorn and Dall sheep), Argaliforms (argali) of Central Asia, and Moufloniforms (urial, mouflon, and domestic sheep) of Eurasia. However, a comparison of the mitochondrial DNA control region (CR) found that two subspecies of urial, "Ovis
European mouflon into the Göhrde State Forest was decimated by the return of the wolf and might eventually die out locally. European mouflon usually form small herds with an older ewe as the leader. Rams often form separate groups outside the rutting season. During the rutting season, the rams fight over the ewes, especially by ramming each other with their curved horns, in order to push their rivals away. European mouflon are herbivores and eat a wide range of food. They also debark trees and seriously hinder tree growth. Their rutting season is in October/November; the gestation period is about five months,