Desert Bighorn Sheep Living On The Edge Photograph by Kay Novy

Desert Bighorn Sheep Living On The Edge

by Kay Novy

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Title

Desert Bighorn Sheep Living On The Edge

Artist

Kay Novy

Medium

Photograph - Photography

Description

The bighorn's body is compact and muscular; the muzzle, narrow and pointed; the ears, short and pointed; the tail, very short. The fur is deerlike and usually a shade of brown with whitish rump patches. The fur is smooth and composed of an outer coat of brittle guard hairs and short, gray, crimped fleece underfur. The summer coat is a rich, glossy brown but it becomes quite faded by late winter.

The male sheep is called a ram and can be recognized by his massive brown horns. The horns curl back over the ears, down, and up past the cheeks. By the time a ram reaches seven or eight years of age, he can have a set of horns with a full curl and a spread of up to 33 inches. Ewes, the females, are smaller than the rams and have shorter, smaller horns that never exceed half a curl.

The desert subspecies, Ovis canadensis nelsoni, is somewhat smaller and has flatter, wider-spreading horns.

The natural range of Ovis canadensis was formerly in the Rocky Mountains from southern Canada to Colorado, but is now reduced to areas where small bands are protected by inaccessible habitat or by refuges. The desert subspecies (Ovis canadensis nelsoni) ranges from Nevada and California to west Texas and south into Mexico. Another rare group inhabits the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California.
Bighorn Sheep Vital Stats

Weight: 115-280 lbs.
Length with Tail: 50-62"
Shoulder Height: 32-40"
Sexual Maturity: 2 years
Mating Season: Nov.-Dec.
Gestation Period: 180 days
No. of Young: 1-2
Birth Interval: 1 year
Lifespan: Bighorns can live 10 to 15 years
Typical Diet: mainly grasses, sedges and forbs