Species › Mammals › Bighorn Sheep

Bighorn Sheep

Ovis canadensis

UncommonMammal
Illustration of Bighorn Sheep (Ovis canadensis)

The Bighorn Sheep is famed for the spectacular head-to-head clashes of rutting males, whose massive curling horns can weigh up to 30 pounds. They are agile climbers that use rocky terrain to escape predators, relying on keen eyesight to spot threats from great distances. Desert populations have adapted to extract moisture from the sparse vegetation of arid canyonlands.

Habitat
Rocky mountain slopes, desert canyons, and alpine meadows
Diet
Grasses, sedges, forbs, and desert shrubs
How common
Uncommon

Best time to see a Bighorn Sheep

The best time to see a Bighorn Sheep is March–August, when about 62% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 23,206 research-grade iNaturalist observations.

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