Big Horn Sheep - Ovis Canadensis - NatureWorks

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Characteristics

Bighorn SheepThe bighorn sheep has tan or brown fur. It has a white belly, rump, and muzzle. It is best known for its large horns. The ram has large, thick curving horns.

Bighorn SheepThe ewe's horns are more slender and less curved. Males weigh between 125-300 pounds, females weigh between 75-200 pounds. The bighorn is a good climber and jumper. Its hooves are hard around the outside and soft on the inside, which gives the bighorn traction on slippery rocks.

Range

mapThe bighorn sheep is found in the Rocky Mountains from southern Canada to Colorado and parts of Nevada, western Texas, eastern California, and northern Mexico. The bighorn changes its home range seasonally. In warm months, it grazes on mountain slopes; in colder months it moves down to valleys. Female bighorns live in groups of five to fifteen sheep made up of ewes and their young. Males live in groups of two to five sheep. In the winter, bands of ewes may join together and form large groups of up to 100 sheep. Males join the female groups during mating season.

Habitat

Bighorn SheepBighorn sheep live in alpine meadows, mountain slopes, and foothills. They like areas with rocky slopes that they can climb to evade predators.

Diet
Bighorn SheepThe bighorn sheep browses on grasses, clover, and sedges in warm months. In colder months, it eats woody plants like willow and sage. Bighorn sheep in desert areas often eat brushy plants like holly and cactus. When it is not grazing, it lies down and chews its cud.

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