Desert Bighorn Sheep
Ovis canadensis mexicana

Body length: 50"
Diet: Plant material, including grasses, leaves, cactus, jojoba nuts, and brittlebush

The coat is thinner, rougher, and lighter in color, and the desert bighorn is smaller than its northern cousins. Both males and females have horns, and you can tell how old the animal is by the annual growth rings on the horns.

Bighorn sheep need more water than many other desert creatures. This limits where they can live. They prefer steep, rocky areas where they can get away from their predators.

Bighorn numbers began to decline in the mid-1800's, due in part to habitat degradation. These sheep live in fragmented populations, which can quickly be wiped out by disease. Predators include mountain lions, golden eagles, coyotes, bears, and bobcats.

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