Desert Bighorn Sheep

Nevada's State Symbol

The Desert bighorn sheep, Nevada's official state animal is an amazing creature. Found in the mountainous rocky desert terrain, the Ovis canadensis nelsoni grow to around 4-1/2' tall, and a mature ram can weigh up to 200 pounds.

Both ewes and rams grow horns, but of the two, the rams get much larger, curling to over three feet long with a one foot circumference at the base. The horns are used for fighting and to break open cactus, which is one of their food sources.

A ewe is slightly smaller in size and weight than the ram.

The apricot mallow is a preferred food for the bighorn sheep.

Bighorns will consume native grass and other desert vegetation, which not only sustain the diet, also help to provide essential moisture. Adapting to the desert environment, they can go weeks without water and can survive up to 30% lose of their body weight.

Unique padded hooves enable the bighorns to run up or down rocky cliffs with great speed and agility. Keen eyesight is essential for detecting their predators of cougars, coyotes and bobcats.

At one time the desert bighorns were very plentiful in North America, but now its a big treat just to spot them gathered in their small groups. Most of the decline in their population has been caused from excessive hunting, human encroachment in their habitat and diseases transmitted from domestic livestock.

For additional information:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desert_Bighorn_Sheep

http://www.desertusa.com/big.html

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