**4. Features of Pantaneiro sheep**

region, which did not have the adaptive traits of local breeds. This way, it occurred indiscrimi‐ nate crossings, which was determinant to result in rapid replacement and erosion of natural‐

In order to prevent the extinction of naturalized breeds and their genetic heritage, in 1983, the National Research Center for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology (Cenargen) of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) decided to include animal genetic resource conservation research in its Genetic Resources Conservation program (Brazilian Animal Genetic Resources Conservation program) [16]. Since then, in addition to Cenargen, several Embrapa centers, universities, private companies, and farmers have maintained the conser‐ vation of animals, through natural selection and semen, embryos, and oocytes storage in

The Brazilian Pantanal, considered the largest wetland sedimentary plain of the world, is located in the states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul and part of the northern Paraguay and eastern Bolivia. This biome, due to its intrinsic characteristics, made it difficult the exchange for other regions of the country at the time of colonization. So, the first animal's populations developed for breeds and the sheep of Pantanal region is an example of adapta‐

With the expansion of sheep breeding in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, the genetic group of locally adaptaded sheep, known as Pantaneiro Sheep (**Figure 1**), can be advantageous to increase the production chain, due to its adaptation to the environmental conditions of the region and by using its rustic genetic material in conservation and breeding programs [7].

ized animals, endangering their existence [15].

bility maintained throughout the years [18].

germplasm banks [17].

40 Livestock Science

**3. Pantaneiro sheep**

**Figure 1.** Pantaneiro sheep.

The Pantaneiro sheep is a separate genetic group of sheep breeds, and it presents allelic combination approaching to wool breeds from South Brazil and woolless breeds from Northeast Brazil [20]. As the Pantaneiro sheep are living in the Pantanal region for many years without suffering any kind of artificial selection or genetic breeding, it was concluded that these animals are locally adapted to the region [19]. Evidence of this adaptability can be determined through the wool distribution in the body of the animals, since they show little or no wool in the legs, belly, and neck, once these body parts are in the most contact with water, when there is need for locomotion in local filled with water and dense vegetation [18].

In a biometric analysis of 20 Pantaneiro sheep, lower morphometric data were observed, but similarity exists between native animals of the Pantanal and other sheep breeds created in Brazil. However, the heart girth and rump width measurements were higher in Pantaneiro sheep than the data in the literature for crossing between Ile de France and Ideal breeds. Therefore, the Pantaneiro animals show good potential for genetic breeding sheep breeding [21].

For assessing the morphometric measurements, a study with four lambs obtained the follow‐ ing averages for the characteristics studied: body weight (46.3 kg), body (69.6 cm), and croup length (19, 1 cm), chest circumference (82.7 cm), chest (18.1 cm), and croup width (11.7 cm). The mean values for these characteristics were smaller when compared to the values observed in wool Creole sheep, but they were higher when confronted with three woolless breeds (Santa Inês, Morada Nova, and Brazilian Somalis) [22].

An analysis of morphometric characterization, using 338 naturalized sheep from Mato Grosso do Sul and performed 20 morphometric measurements, concluded that the females of this genetic group have relatively large heads (32.4 cm), and this feature along with the length of the skull (24.2 cm) are larger in females than in males [23].

The Pantaneiro sheep have good productive potential in relation to meat and carcass quality traits, and also for the production of wool, widely used in handicrafts [19]. The lean physique of these animals owing to their nonrequirement for the high‐calorie consumption results in low subcutaneous fat accumulation, which is characterized by their rusticity [24].

These animals exhibit average birth weight between 2.5 and 3.5 kg and about 200 to 350 g in average daily gain weight. Still, it was found that the weight data support the production of lambs, providing slaughtering when the animals are between 4 and 8 months, weighing between 30 and 40 kg, generating high carcass yield, up to 50%, and in addition males and females have similar productive performance [19].

These sheep also features highlighted in relation to the reproductive performance when compared to other breeds of sheep created in Brazil. With reproductive activity during the entire year, females do not show reproductive seasonality, and they can produced more than 1.5 lamb per year, unlike the females of other breeds [19, 25, 26].

The male sheep also have reproductive seasonality, but only when there is little variation of photoperiod, as in the tropics. Moreover, the variation of breed and environmental factors are also crucial to the reproductive performance of animals [19].

As Pantaneiro sheep are not considered a breed, studies of molecular, genetic, and phenotypic characterization are needed in order to prove the differences between these animals and the other breeds. More studies are required to demonstrate the body, production and reproduction characteristics of these animals [27].
