Desert Bighorn Sheep

One of the most majestic creatures of the North American deserts, and one of the rarest, is the Desert Bighorn Sheep (Ovis canadensis). Bighorn Sheep rarely inhabit areas that are disturbed by humans, so don't be disappointed if you don't see any when you travel through the mountains, basins and deserts. Bighorns are generally active during the day, feeding morning, noon and evening, then lying down to chew their cud. They retire to their bedding areas for the night, which may be used for many years.

The male sheep is called a ram and can be recognized by his massive brown horns. The horns curl back over the ears, down and up past the cheeks. By the time a ram reaches 7 or 8 years of age, he can have a set of horns with a full curl and a spread of up to 33 inches. Ewes, the females, are slightly smaller than the rams and have shorter, smaller horns that never exceed half a curl.

The Desert Bighorn Sheep, comprising 4 subspecies, live in dry, desert mountain ranges -- an environment that is almost waterless and relatively barren of vegetation. In the winter they range farther from their meager water sources to browse on vegetation in full leaf. As summer approaches, they move closer to remaining water supplies and reduce their own water output by resting during the day in caves or under rock overhangs.

When summer temperatures become extreme and water sources dry up completely, Desert Bighorns rest most of the daylight hours and feed at night. During this season, they rely on certain desert plants for both food and moisture. They use their hooves and horns to remove spines from cacti, then eat the juicy insides. They are fond of the tender shoots of Prickly Pear and Cholla, and the flowers of succulents like Agave and Squawgrass. Desert Bighorns utilize two mechanisms for cooling -- perspiring, and also panting, which is a fairly uncommon adaptation for desert animals. When the summer rains finally arrive, they resume the more common behavior of their species.

Because of their superior eyesight and agility, Bighorn Sheep have few natural predators. But destruction of their natural habitat, and parasites and diseases transmitted from domestic sheep, have severely impacted the Desert Bighorn population.   Now under careful management and protection, their survival remains precarious, but promising.

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