Ovis canadensis
Desert Bighorn Sheep, there is no mistaking this magnificent animal. The large curved horns and white rump patch identify the ram (male), while the ewe (female) and young have smaller, slightly curved horns. Their gray-brown color allows them to blend in with their surroundings, making them difficult to be seen. Often they can not be seen until they begin to move. The desert bighorn is smaller and paler in color compared to its northern counterpart in the Rocky Mountains. Breeding takes place in the late fall and early winter, with one or two lambs being born in the spring. Habitat: The desert bighorn is an animal of the mountains and canyons. It is seldom seen anywhere else.Diet: Bighorn are herbivores that eat a variety of native desert plants, but they seem to prefer white bursage.Adaptations: Bighorn sheep can go up to several days without water, but they seldom range very far from an active spring or the waters of Lake Mead. Due to the special design of their hooves, they are extremely sure footed and can grip the rocky surface as they climb and run through their habitat. Veins in their underbellies and horns assist in dissipating heat away from their bodies.
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