California
Ovis canadensis  Albert P. Bekker, California Academy of Sciences | |
| Type of Animal: | Mammals |
|---|---|
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | Bovidae |
| Federal Status: | |
| State Status: | |
| Occurrence: | |
| Habitat: | Canyons,Grassland |
| Description: | Bighorn sheep are among the hardest animals to find because they typically live on and around rocky cliffs that are inaccessible to humans and most predators. You are more likely to find these animals in the winter when they migrate to the valleys. Bighorn sheep roam in herds as small as five individuals in the summer and as large as 100 in the winter. One of the most fascinating activities to watch is the butting contests of bighorn sheep. This occurs in the fall, when rams with similar sized horns charge at each other at speeds near 20 miles per hour! The males do this to establish superiority among the herd. The butting contests are a precursor to mating, which takes place from November to December. The lambs are born on the most inaccessible cliffs that can be found as a way of protecting them from predators. Bighorn sheep feed on grasses and sedges during the summer, and in the winter their diet consists of more woody plants such as sage. Predators of bighorn sheep include mountain lions, golden eagles, wolves, coyotes, bears, and bobcats. However, their rough territory makes it extremely difficult for most of these predators to catch the sheep. There are two subspecies of bighorn sheep that occur on BLM administered lands, desert bighorn sheep and Peninsular bighorn sheep. For more information about those subspecies, please visit their web pages. |
| Effort: | |
| References: | Jameson et al. 1988. California Mammals. Wilson et al. (editors). 1999. The Smithsonian Book of North American Mammals. Whitaker (editor). 1998. National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mammals, Revised Edition. Zeiner et al. (editors). 1990. California’s Wildlife, Volume III, Mammals. |
| Other Sites: | Search this database for "Peninsular bighorn sheep" or "Desert bighorn sheep" |
| Field Office(s): | Bakersfield; Barstow; Palm Springs |