ORDER

Artiodactyla (even toed ungulates)

FAMILY

Bovidae (antelope, cattle, gazelles, goats, sheep and relatives)

HABITAT AND RANGE

Alpine meadows, grassy mountain slopes and foothills of rocky cliffs. They once ranged throughout the Rockies but their range has drastically reduced to small pockets of inaccessible habitats.

IDENTIFICATION

Bighorn sheep have light brown fur with a whitish rump. Adult males (rams) weigh between 125 and 300 lbs while females (ewes) weigh between 75 and 200 lbs. Males and females can be distinguished by their horns. Females have smaller slender horns while males grow enormous spiraling horns. Male horns can measure over 30” long and weigh as much as 30 lbs. The size of the horns usually is a symbol of the males rank in the herd.

DIET

Bighorn diet generally varies according to their habitat but they are grazers feeding on different shrubs and grasses.

REPRODUCTION AND LIFESPAN

Breeding season (rut) takes place in early autumn to early. Gestation lasts 5 to 6 months with one or two lambs born in late February to early May. Lambs can walk within hours after birth but generally hide where they were born for the first week of life. Lambs are weaned after about 5 months. Lifespan is 9-12 years for rams and 10-14 years for ewes.

NOTES

During the mating season males will run at each other at speeds reaching 20 mph. Right before impact they raise their bodies on their hind legs then ram at each other at a downward angle resulting in forces that can reach 1800 lbs. Their skulls have a double layer of bone that absorbs the shock of the impact, protecting the brain. Battles between males can last as long as 20 hours with usually 5 clashes per hour. They use ledges only 2 inches wide for footholds, and bounce from ledge to ledge over spans as wide as 20 feet. They can move over level ground at 30 miles per hour and scramble up mountain slopes at 15 mph.