Grand
Canyon Wild life – Animal in Grand Canyon
Scientific
Name
Ovis canadensis nelsoni
Identification
- Muscular body with chocolate brown fur. They
have white fur around the muzzle, rump, and belly.
- Rams (males) have large curved horns that can
reach 3 feet in length. Females have short horns with only slight
curvature.
- Bighorn are the largest native animal in the
park, with rams weighing up to 300 lbs (135 kg). Two nonnative species
living in the park (bison and elk) are larger.
Habitat
- Bighorn normally live in mountainous terrain,
but the unique landscape found in the Grand Canyon is excellent habitat
that provides remote refuges for these animals.
- They are commonly seen on steep terrain and
cliffs.
- They live throughout the American Southwest,
including the Grand Canyon, Mojave Desert, and Sonoran Desert. The
bighorns in the Grand Canyon make up the only non-reintroduced population
of desert bighorn, and have served as a source for reintroductions in other
areas.
Behavior
- Desert Bighorn sheep are highly adapted for
desert climates, and can go for extended periods without drinking.
- They are social animals, and form herds that
are usually 8-10 sheep. Herds as large as 100 sheep have been seen.
- Rams battle to become the dominant animal in
a herd, charging head-on at each other with their horns until one ram
retreats.
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