The Criollo (also known as Creole, Chilludo, Pampa, Colombian, Lucero, Tarhumara, Uruguayan, and Venezuelan) is a
breed of
domestic sheep
Sheep or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are domesticated, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus '' Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to domesticated ...
originating in the highlands of
South and
Central America
Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...
. In the mid 16th Century, Spanish settlers brought the
Churra
The Churra (also known as ''Spanish Churro'') is an ancient Iberian breed of sheep from Zamora province in Castile and León. The ewes produce the milk for Zamorana cheese; the meat is also prized.
The Churra (renamed "churro" by American fr ...
with them. This is believed to be the ancestor of the modern day Criollo.
The Criollo is raised primarily for
meat.
[
]
Characteristics
The wool is coarse and is of carpet type. The Criollo is typically black, white or pied.
On average and at maturity, rams weigh and ewes weigh . On average, ewes have 1.02 lambs per litter. The Criollo may be resistant to endoparasite infestation.
References
{{sheep-stub
Sheep breeds