Bighorn Sheep
Full Article
Bighorn Sheep, Rocky Mountain National Park
A group of rams in Big Thompson Canyon by Hwy 34.
Bighorn Sheep Crossing
Park officials try to slow down cars as a ram is crossing the road in Rocky Mountain National Park.
The Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep (Ovis Canadensis) is one of four native sheep species that inhabit the North American continent and the only one that resides in Colorado. Bighorn sheep play a key role in bringing tourist and revenue into the state.
Characteristics and Habits
Known for their large muscular build, bighorn sheep can weigh from 100 to 320 pounds and can reach a standing height of three feet at the shoulders. Rams, or male sheep, have massive curled horns that often reach one complete curl before the growing process slows. Ewes, or female sheep, have slender horns that are much shorter and straighter. Bighorn sheep fur comes in many different shades of brown depending on their home range, but the animals almost always have a white underbelly, rump patch, muzzle, and eye patch. They also have a winter coat that they are able to shed in the summer months, allowing them to flourish in a variety of habitats.
During the summer, these majestic creatures can be found in the high-elevation (6,000–14,000 ft.) portions of the Rocky Mountains, from Canada to New Mexico. Their remarkable climbing abilities allow bighorns to scale cliffs or canyon walls to stay out of reach of predators. Their predators include coyotes, wolves, bobcats, and, predominantly in Colorado, mountain lions. When the cool, crisp air of autumn arrives, the sheep move to mountain pastures at lower elevations (2,500–5,800 ft.) to gain better access to forage and escape the heavy winter snowfall.
Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep are herbivores, meaning that they gain most of their energy by eating plant material. Primarily, they eat grasses. In the winter months, when the mountains of Colorado are snow-covered, the sheep turn to woody shrubs and forbs to survive.
Mating season occurs from November through December, taking place during the migration from high to low elevation. Pregnancy lasts 180 days, leading to the birth of one lamb sometime in May. Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep are most vulnerable during this time period, and this is also the time that they are most likely to interact with humans.
Interaction with People
In the late nineteenth century, during Colorado’s rapid industrial development, something unprecedented was happening deep in the Rocky Mountains. For the first time in Colorado’s history, the bighorn sheep population suffered from hunting, human encroachment on their habitat, and the introduction of new diseases brought by domesticated sheep herds. These diseases included scabies, chronic frontal sinusitis, internal nematode parasites, pneumophilic bacteria, foot rot, parainfluenza 111, bluetongue, and contagious echthyma. Since domestic and bighorn sheep are both in the same genus, diseases are easily transmittable between the two species. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, scabies and pneumophilic bacteria killed hundreds of Colorado bighorns. By 1950 there were only an estimated 2,200 bighorn remaining in Colorado. This was the lowest population level ever recorded.
In the mid-1950s, after extensive research by the newly created Colorado Division of Wildlife, large herds were reintroduced into central Colorado. Fueled by the reintroductions and new management practices, bighorn sheep numbers rebounded. In fact, with seventy-nine separate breading herds and an estimated total of 7,040 individuals, Colorado enjoyed the largest number of Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep in the United States. It was also estimated that roughly half of the herds within the state were native, meaning that they were completely composed of sheep born in Colorado.
Since then, people from all the around the country have flocked to Colorado’s public lands to catch a glimpse of these once-endangered creatures, along with elk, moose, and other large mammals. Tourists seeking wildlife-viewing opportunities also brought spending money into the state. Today, management strategies have become even more sophisticated, and populations of bighorn sheep are thriving. The recovery of the bighorn sheep population and the success of their management in the state of Colorado helped to solidify the importance of wildlife to the state’s economy.
10th Grade
The Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep (Ovis Canadensis) is one of four native sheep species in North American and the only one that lives in Colorado.
Characteristics and Habits
Bighorn sheep can weigh from 100 to 320 pounds and can reach a standing height of three feet. Rams, or male sheep, have massive curled horns that often reach one complete curl before the growing process slows. Ewes, or female sheep, have slender horns that are much shorter and straighter. Bighorn sheep fur comes in different shades of brown, but the animals almost always have a white underbelly.
During the summer, Bighorn can be found in the high-elevation (6,000–14,000 ft.) portions of the Rocky Mountains, from Canada to New Mexico. Their remarkable climbing abilities allow bighorns to scale cliffs or canyon walls to stay out of reach of predators. Their predators include coyotes, wolves, bobcats, and, predominantly in Colorado, mountain lions. When the cool, crisp air of autumn arrives, the sheep move to mountain pastures at lower elevations (2,500–5,800 ft.) to gain better access to forage and escape the heavy winter snowfall.
Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep are herbivores, meaning that they gain most of their energy by eating plant material. Primarily, they eat grasses.
Mating season occurs from November through December. Pregnancy lasts 180 days, leading to the birth of one lamb sometime in May.
Interaction with People
In the late nineteenth century, during Colorado’s rapid industrial development, the bighorn sheep population suffered from hunting, human encroachment on their habitat, and the introduction of new diseases brought by domesticated sheep herds. By 1950 there were only an estimated 2,200 bighorn remaining in Colorado. This was the lowest population level ever recorded.
In the mid-1950s, large herds were reintroduced into central Colorado. Fueled by the reintroductions and new management practices, bighorn sheep numbers rebounded. With an estimated total of 7,040 individuals, Colorado enjoyed the largest number of Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep in the United States.
Since then, people from all the around the country have flocked to Colorado’s public lands to catch a glimpse of these once-endangered creatures.
Today, management strategies have become even more sophisticated, and populations of bighorn sheep are thriving.
8th Grade
The Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep (Ovis Canadensis) is one of four native sheep species in North American. It is the only one that lives in Colorado.
Characteristics and Habits
Bighorn sheep can weigh from 100 to 320 pounds and can reach a standing height of three feet. Rams, or male sheep, have massive curled horns. Ewes, or female sheep, shorter and straighter horns. Bighorn sheep fur comes in different shades of brown, but the animals almost always have a white underbelly.
During the summer, Bighorn can be found in the high-elevation (6,000–14,000 ft.) portions of the Rocky Mountains, from Canada to New Mexico. Their climbing abilities allow them to scale cliffs or canyon walls to stay out of reach of predators. Their predators include coyotes, wolves, bobcats, and mountain lions. In the fall, the sheep move to lower elevations (2,500–5,800 ft.) to forage and escape the heavy winter snowfall.
Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep are herbivores. They gain most of their energy by eating plant material like grasses.
Mating season occurs from November through December. Pregnancy lasts 180 days, leading to the birth of one lamb in May.
Interaction with People
In the 1800's, Colorado's bighorn sheep population decreased due to hunting, human encroachment, and diseases brought by domesticated sheep herds. By 1950 there were only an estimated 2,200 bighorn remaining in Colorado. This was the lowest population level ever recorded.
In the mid-1950s, large herds were brought into central Colorado after which Colorado enjoyed the largest number of Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep in the United States.
Since then, people from all the around the country have flocked to Colorado’s public lands to catch a glimpse.
4th Grade
The Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep is one of four sheep species in North America. It is the only one that lives in Colorado.
Characteristics and Habits
Bighorn sheep can weigh between 100 and 320 pounds. They can reach a height of three feet. Rams, or male sheep, have large curly horns. Ewes, or female sheep, have shorter and straighter horns. Bighorn sheep fur comes in different shades of brown.
Bighorn can be found in the high-elevation (6,000–14,000 ft.) parts of the mountains during the summer. They climb cliffs or canyon walls to escape predators. Those predators include coyotes, wolves, bobcats, and mountain lions. The sheep move to lower elevations in the fall to get away from snow.
Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep are herbivores. They get energy by eating grass.
Mating season occurs in November and December. Pregnancy lasts 180 days. Ewes give birth to one lamb in May.
Interaction with People
Hunting and disease have decreased the number of bighorns in Colorado. In 1950, there were only 2,200 bighorns left in the state.
In the 1950s, large herds were brought to the state. Colorado now has the largest bighorn sheep population in the United States.
Since then, people from all over have come to Colorado to see the bighorn.
