| Animal Fact Sheet
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Desert Bighorn
Ovis canadensis nelsoni
What does it look
like?
Their profile best displays bighorn sheep's regal form, their massive,
spiraled horns, gracefully lined faces and stocky but smoothly formed
bodies. Smaller than other species of bighorn sheep, Desert Bighorn
weigh approximately 110 to 150 pounds and are 30 to 39 inches high
at the shoulder.
- Their coats are relatively smooth, consisting of brittle guard
hairs and gray, crimped fleece beneath
- Their flanks are tawny, shading to yellowish white on their
undersides and distinctive white on their hindquarters
- Both sexes have horns, but the horns on the rams are much larger
then the ewe’s horns. Horns on rams can reach a length of
50 cm (20 inches) and spiral around the sides of their heads.
About the time that a ram’s horns begin to block his peripheral
vision, he has already rubbed off the tips on a rock
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| Where
in the world?
Bighorn are widespread sparingly dispersed in the western mountains
from Canada to California and Mexico. The Desert Bighorn subspecies
is only found in the southwestern deserts. Desert Bighorn are now
so few in number and generally so well-secluded in their rocky habitat
that they are seldom seen. Their ideal habitat is the arid, desolate
rocky ranges which jut up from the low desert plains.
What are some behaviors?
Bighorn sheep are shy creatures which need ample wilderness area
not encroached upon by human activities. Expert climbers and jumpers
and their ability to go long periods without water, adapt them to
desert and surrounding rocky mountain peaks. Bighorn's steps measure
some 18 inches when walking, and up to 10 feet when bounding across
level ground.
What about offspring?
The maternal family is their primary group. Since each mother remains
the leader of her offspring, the oldest ewe with the largest number
of descendants leads the group of ewes, lambs and yearlings. Membership
in this group is expanded when rams join the band during rut to
mate. Ewes seek solitude in the lambing grounds to give birth, isolating
their lambs for the first few weeks.
Rutting season is late summer to late fall. After
a six-month gestation, ewes give birth on a remote crag. Usually
a single lamb is born, rarely twins. Lambs have a soft, light-colored
coat and small horn buds. After a week, lambs follow the herd, staying
constantly by their mother's side. Weaned at five to six months
old, they nibble grasses and leaves. |
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What does it eat?
Bighorn sheep feed on various grasses, young plants and leaves.
During winter, they eat woody plants. For Desert Bighorn, their
main diet is shrubs and sometimes even cacti. Like all sheep, bighorn
digest their food in four-chambered stomachs, which allows them
to eat even the toughest plants.
Except for summer when Desert Bighorn must drink
at least every four days, they are able to get most of their water
from the wide variety of plants they consume. However, when water
is available, bighorn will drink every day. Bands of males and maternal
bands both concentrate close to perennial water during hot, dry
summer months.
Is it threatened
or endangered?
Yes, the U. S. population of the Desert Bighorn found in the Peninsular
Ranges of southern California is on the federal Endangered Species
List. They are endangered primarily due to loss of habitat from
urban development and from decimation of herds from viral respiratory
infections that affect lambs. |
