Bighorn Sheep Images

Bighorn Sheep Images, Facts and Information:

Ovis canadensis

• Bighorn Sheep are native to North America and range from southwestern Canada down to northwestern mainland Mexico. There are three subspecies of Bighorn Sheep, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep (O. c. canadensis), Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep (O. c. sierrae), and Desert bighorn sheep (O. c. nelsoni).
• Bighorn Sheep were named for their large horns which in males, or rams, can weigh up to 30 pounds. Female Bighorn Sheep, or ewes, have smaller, more slender horns.
• The Rocky Mountains and Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep occupy the cooler mountainous regions of Canada and the United States. In contrast, the desert bighorn sheep subspecies are indigenous to the hot desert ecosystems of the Southwestern United States and Mexico.
• Bighorn Sheep generally inhabit alpine meadows, grassy mountain slopes, and foothill country near rugged, rocky cliffs and bluffs. These sheep eat grasses and graze on shrubs.
• Big horn Sheep usually give birth to one lamb but two are possible.
• Bighorn Sheep ewes live about 10 to 14 years, rams typically live about 9 to 12 years.

I hope you enjoy viewing my Bighorn Sheep photos.