See Desert Bighorn Sheep in the Wild

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When you think of bighorn sheep, you probably instantly picture a ram. Those large, curled horns aren’t just status symbols, but are impressive weapons used in ram-to-ram combat. What are they fighting for? What males in the animal kingdom are always battling for--dominance and females. To do this, they face each other, rear up on their hind legs and run at each other at up to 20 miles per hour! The impact can be heard echoing throughout the mountains--sometimes for hours. And it’s no wonder. One set of bighorn ram horns can weigh 30 pounds--more than all the bones in the rest of his body combined. But don’t worry, ram skulls are thick and can take the blows. Battles usually end with one ram walking away. Female bighorns, called ewes, also have horns, but they are smaller. If you were to look at a bighorn’s hooves, you’d notice they are split and have very rough bottoms. This helps them better grip for fast climbing. In the wild, females live together in herds with lambs, while rams live in bachelor groups and only come around for mating. BONUS: Family Baby bighorns, called lambs, are born way up on mountain ledges to help keep them safe from predators. By one week old, a lamb is ready to join a herd with its mother.

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