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Bighorn Sheep
Ovis Canadensis
52.8733, -118.082
Field Notes
Description:
Bighorn Sheep are one of the most interesting animals to see when you're out adventuring!
-The big curved horns on the male sheep make them easily recognized. While the female are sporting a more straight and pointed set of antlers.
Bighorn Sheep come in a variety of different "darker" shades. Ranging from grey, light black, light brown, and a dark brown. Male sheep usually grow to be 36- 41 inches at the shoulder and about 125- 315 pounds. Female sheep grow to be 30- 36 inches and about 75- 188 pounds. This obviously proves variation within the species.
-The Bighorn Sheep share their home, The Rocky Mountains, with a number of different types of species, including the grizzly bear, wolves, cougars, and coyotes. All 4 of these species are either carnivores or omnivores and hunt for meat ( Other Mammals) or in the grizzly bears case also loves to eat berries. I am sure the Bighorn Sheep would also be a nutritious meal for anyone of these animals. The Bighorn Sheep would be the prey.
-Bighorn Sheep have a "parasitical" (Negative, Positive) relationship with all the animals that prey on them. Including Bears, Wolves, and Cougars. In this example the Bighorn Sheep suffer and the Predators benefit. Sheep are food.
-Since Bighorn Sheep live in one of the most rugged landscapes in the world they need a unique design to help them get around. Hooves help the sheep with this problem. Hooves make it easy for the sheep to scamper and sprint away for predators on rocky cliff sides. Their horns ( that can weigh up to 30 pounds) also make them a threat to their own species while mating. Sheer strength is what helps them dodge death in the rockies.
-This species reproduces sexually, which includes a male and a female to produce offspring. It only takes 5 months to produce a lamb.
Habitat:
Bighorn Sheep can be found down the Western side of Canada and The United States in The Rocky Mountains.They've also been seen as far East as North Dakota. The can be usually seen on the top half of mountains if you are hiking or even sometimes down on a road beside the mountain. These sheep are prey to a variety of species who share the same habitat, including bears, cougars, and wolves. Bighorn themselves feed on things like grasses, woody plants, and brushy types of plants. They are herbivores. Male rams spend most of their time eating grass and keeping a sharp eye out for danger. The spend most of their year 'single' until mating season begins. At this time male sheep but heads and horns at insane speeds looking to fight for a female.
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