📷 Jim Bouldin (talk · contribs) · CC BY-SA 3.0
📷 Alan D. Wilson
📷 Kim Keating, USGS photo
IUCN: Least Concern
Bighorn Sheep
Ovis canadensis
KingdomAnimalia›PhylumChordata›ClassMammalia›OrderArtiodactyla›FamilyBovidae›GenusOvis
About
Bighorn sheep are named for the massive curled horns of rams, which can weigh more than all the bones in their body. They climb near-vertical cliffs to escape predators and gather at natural salt licks. In the rut, rams charge at up to 32 km/h and clash horns with a crack audible over a kilometre away. Unregulated hunting and diseases from domestic sheep once cut populations drastically; recovery continues through transplants and herd protection.
Key Facts
⛰Habitat Alpine meadows, grassy mountain slopes, and rocky canyons
🍃Diet Herbivore — grasses, sedges, and shrubs
📏Size & Weight Body 1.6–1.8 m; shoulder height 0.9–1 m
•weight 53–127 kg
⏳Lifespan 9–14 years
🗺Range Rocky Mountains and desert ranges of western North America from Canada to Mexico
MammalBovid
Key Facts
⛰Habitat Alpine meadows, grassy mountain slopes, and rocky canyons
🍃Diet Herbivore — grasses, sedges, and shrubs
📏Size & Weight Body 1.6–1.8 m; shoulder height 0.9–1 m
•weight 53–127 kg
⏳Lifespan 9–14 years
🗺Range Rocky Mountains and desert ranges of western North America from Canada to Mexico
Photo Credits
#1Jim Bouldin (talk · contribs) · CC BY-SA 3.0
#2Alan D. Wilson · CC BY-SA 3.0
#3Kim Keating, USGS photo · CC BY 3.0
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