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The bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) [6] is a species of sheep native to North America. [7] It is named for its large horns.A pair of horns may weigh up to 14 kg (30 lb); [8] the sheep typically weigh up to 143 kg (315 lb). [9]
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The Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis sierrae) is subspecies of bighorn sheep unique to the Sierra Nevada mountains of California. [3] A 2016 genetics study confirmed significant divergence between the three subspecies of North America's bighorn sheep: Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep and desert bighorn sheep. [4]
Bighorn sheep get their name from the large horns atop their head, which curve backwards toward the sheep's body. They can weigh between 140-300 pounds and average about 3–3½ feet tall, ...
There are only approximately 80,000 North American bighorn sheep on the continent currently — much less than the between 150,000 and 200,000 that existed before the 1800’s.
Male and female animals have glands that is exposed when the white hair on the rump stands up. 2-Pyrrolidinone, the major compound in the rump gland has an odor reminiscent of buttered popcorn to humans. The flared rump hair and odor alert adjacent animals of a possible danger. [25] Pronghorns have well developed glands on each hoof.
Desert bighorn sheep populations have trended upward since the 1960s. The upward trend was caused by conservation measures, including habitat preservation. In 1978, desert bighorn sheep populations were estimated at 8,415-9,040. [15] A state-by-state survey published in 1985 estimated the overall US desert bighorn sheep population at 15,980. [16]
Female sheep are called ewes, males are called rams or less frequently bucks or tups, neutered males are called wethers, and young sheep are called lambs. The adjective applying to sheep is ovine, and the collective term for sheep is flock or mob. The term herd is also occasionally used in this sense, generally for large flocks.