History
The breed of Glossa Skopelos Sheep derives its name from the homonymous Glossa village on the island of Skopelos. It is one of the first breeds mentioned in the earliest Greek bibliography dedicated to livestock. Rainoldos Dimitriadis in Greek Livestock Keeping, 1900 referred to Glossa sheep as the most productive of the improved sheep breeds of ‘Esperia’ (Europe). In 1941 B.Xatziolos mentioned Glossa sheep as the best breed of Greek sheep due to its high reproductive capacity and its annual milk productivity which reached 250 litres. Glossa sheep are thought to originate from the island of Agios Efstratios and the Chalkidiki region. Traditionally they were kept in domestic conditions and foraged in orchards which retained plenty of vegetation throughout the year. A herd of 50-60 animals was bred in the ‘Agios Mamas Agricultural Research Station’ in Chalkidiki from 1992. Presently, it is bred on the islands of Skopelos and Skiathos and in the Velestino area.
Morphological Traits
Glossa Skopelos sheep are medium-sized, even-woolled and thin-tailed. Height at the withers ranges from 62 to 70 cm, with an average of 66 cm for rams and 61cm for ewes. Average weight for rams is 65 kg and for ewes 40-60 kg.
Rams are usually horned but ewes are rarely horned. The head is conical with a slightly convex profile. The ears are of medium size carried horizontally or semi-erect. The withers are slightly higher than the sacral region. The limbs are short and relatively slender. The tail is of average length and width.
The wool is dense, forming a limited forelock. The face, legs and belly are wool free. The colour is relatively uniform. The fleece is usually white with limited black or chestnut markings on the face, eyes, ears and mouth. Uniformly white or chestnut-black animals occur but are rare.
Population
According to 2019 data from the Karditsa CAGR, the herd book of the Glossa Skopelos breed accounts for 3,729 animals.
The status of the breed is considered ‘Not at Risk’.