Physical Description
Bighorn SheepThe bighorn sheep has tan or brown fur. It has a white belly, rump and muzzle. It is best known for its large horns. The rams or males have large, thick curving horns. The ewe's or female's horns are more slender and less curved. Males weigh between 125-300 pounds, females weigh between 75-200 pounds. The bighorn is a good climber and jumper. Its hooves are hard around the outside and soft on the inside, which help give them traction on slippery rocks.
Bighorn SheepFemales have their babies on a cliff that's hard to access. They have one baby. Lambs are woolly and white and have little horns. They can walk and climb by the first day. The lamb will stay hidden where it was born for about a week and then it will start to follow its mother.
Habitat & Distribution
Bighorn SheepBighorn sheep live in alpine meadows, mountain slopes and foothills. They like areas with rocky slopes they can climb to evade predators.
Bighorn SheepThe bighorn sheep can be found in the Rocky Mountains from southern Canada to Colorado and parts of Nevada, western Texas and eastern California and northern Mexico. The bighorn changes its home range seasonally. In warm months, it grazes on mountain slopes; in colder months it moves down to valleys. Female bighorns live in groups of five to fifteen sheep made up of ewes and their young. Males live in groups of two to five sheep. In the winter bands of ewes may join together and form large groups of up to 100 sheep. Males will join the female groups during mating season.
