Last Rites for a Desert Bighorn

Last Rites for a Desert Bighorn…KEYWORDS: desert bighorn sheep big horn sheep coyote

AUTHOR: Ranger Jim Meier

It was most unusual to see Mama Ewe standing in the same spot where I’d last seen her. But there she was, in the clearing at Lower Willows in Coyote Canyon where I’d seen her two days before during the bighorn sheep count. Four legs spread wide; her head hung as if muscles were not attached. Drainage flowed from her eyes and nose. Something must be done! Last Rites for a Desert Bighorn »»

Big Horn Sheep Watching in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

Big Horn Sheep Watching…KEYWORDS: where to see bighorn sheep in California big horn sheep watching Anza-Borrego Desert State Park california state park animals Peninsular Bighorn Sheep state park near San Diego

AUTHOR: Ranger Jeri Zemon

In 1933, Anza-Borrego was set aside as a state park, in part to preserve the habitat of the Peninsular Bighorn Sheep. Since then, their numbers have decreased, and spotting a Bighorn has become a rare experience in California. We are fortunate that it is still possible to see a Bighorn Sheep in the wild during a visit to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Big Horn Sheep Watching in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park »»

big horn sheep

Desert Big Horn Sheep Fact Sheet

Big Horn Sheep Fact Sheet…All about the Desert Bighorn Sheep, its scientific names, common names, description, behavior, range, habitats and life cycle….KEYWORDS: rocky mountain big horn sheep artiodactyla bovidae caprinae ovis canadensis Ovis canadensis nelsoni endangered species desert subspecies

big horn sheepClass: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Bovidae
Sub Family: Caprinae
Genus: Ovis
Species: canadensis

Bighorn Geography – Range

The natural range of Ovis canadensis was formerly in the Rocky Mountains from southern Canada to Colorado, but is now reduced to small bands protected by inaccessible habitat or by refuges. The desert subspecies (Ovis canadensis nelsoni) ranges from Nevada and California to west Texas and south into Mexico. Another rare member inhabits the Sierra Nevada Mountain of California. Desert Big Horn Sheep Fact Sheet »»