A woolly brown Shetland sheep with a dark face standing on grass. — Photo: Jean, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Shetland Sheep

Ovis aries (Shetland breed)

A small, hardy sheep breed from Scotland's Shetland Isles that comes in more colors than almost any other breed.

🐐 Farm Animals 🦓 Hoofed Mammals

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About the Shetland Sheep

Shetland sheep are one of the smaller sheep breeds, just over 2 feet tall at the shoulder. Rams (males) weigh 90 to 125 pounds and have spiraled horns, while ewes (females) weigh 75 to 100 pounds and usually have no horns. Their wool comes in 11 main colors and about 30 marking patterns. They graze on grasses, legumes and other pasture plants for about seven hours a day.^[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name: Ovis aries (Shetland breed)^[1]
Size: 4 to 5 feet long and just over 2 feet tall at the shoulder.^[1]
Weight: Rams 90 to 125 pounds; ewes 75 to 100 pounds.^[1]
Lifespan: 10 to 12 years.^[1]
Diet: Herbivore. Grasses, legumes, pasture plants and hay.^[1]
Habitat: Grasslands and pastures.^[1]
Where it lives: Originally the Shetland Isles of Scotland; now many countries.^[1]
Group life: Flocks.^[1]
Babies: Usually one lamb, sometimes two, weighing 4 to 7 pounds.^[1]
Conservation status: Domestic breed. Not assessed by the IUCN.^[1]

Fun facts

Shetland wool comes in 11 main colors and about 30 patterns.^[1]
Sheep have rectangular pupils that let them see about 270 degrees around.^[1]
A lost sheep bleats loudly until it finds its flock.^[1]

Vocabulary

breed: A group of domestic animals with a certain look, developed by people.
ram: A male sheep.
ewe: A female sheep.
cud: Food that an animal brings back up from its stomach to chew again.
ruminant: A hoofed animal that chews cud and has a stomach with several chambers.

See it in person

Oakland ZooOakland, California · Children's ZooSee this animal on the zoo's website ↗

These zoos had this animal when we gathered our information, but animals sometimes move. Check the zoo's website or contact the zoo before you visit.

Sources

[1] Oakland Zoo. “Shetland Sheep.” https://www.oaklandzoo.org/animals/shetland-sheep/ (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

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