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Bighorn Sheep Facts & Worksheets

Bighorn sheep are well-suited for navigating the high terrain that keeps their predators at bay, despite not being as agile as mountain goats

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Bighorn sheep live in the mountains of North America. Their colors range from light to dark brown or grayish, and they have a white rear and lining on the back of their legs.

See the fact file below for more information on the Bighorn Sheep, or you can download our 31-page Bighorn Sheep worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

EVOLUTIONARY HISTORY

  • From the early Pleistocene, bighorn sheep’s ancestors lived in the mountainous and desert parts of Eurasia.
  • They migrated to the highlands of Europe, North Africa, Asia, and North America during the late Pleistocene (100,000 years ago) via the Bering land bridge.
  • The first sheep introduced to the New World were said to resemble the argali of the Asian steppes.
  • As they adapted to various settings, the old-world sheep evolved into an astounding number of new and unique species. (There are currently between 36 and 40 races or subspecies of wild sheep.)

DISTINCT FEATURES

  • Bighorn males are known for having enormous, curled horns. These magnificent growths have served as a status symbol and a weapon in epic conflicts throughout the Rocky Mountains. 
  • Bighorn sheep are well-suited for navigating the high terrain that keeps their predators at bay, despite not being as agile as mountain goats. An inside soft pad offers a grip that adapts to each different surface, while the outer hoof is modified toenails tailored to snag any minor protrusion.
  • It is nearly impossible to approach a bighorn sheep without being seen because they have superb vision.
  • Older rams have enormous horns that can reach lengths of over three feet. Females, known as ewes, also have horns, but they are little and barely curved. 
  • Bighorns can be found from the Canadian Rocky Mountains to the American Southwest deserts. 

ADAPTATIONS

  • Bighorns are related to goats and have split hooves that help with balance, as well as rough bottoms that provide a secure grip. They can navigate the rocky, rough alpine terrain with ease because of these qualities and their sharp vision.
  • All bighorn sheep travel between summer foothill slopes and winter high mountain slopes. They inhabit places where people are hardly ever disruptive. Bighorns are found in rocky, minimally forested canyons, foothills, and tall, rough, sparsely covered mountain slopes. 
  • They eat early in the morning, midday, and late at night. In between grazing, they relax, chew their cud, and digest their meals while lying down. Every night, they return to a 4-foot by 1-inch area as their sleeping area. 
  • This bed typically has a urine odor and is covered in droppings. During their yearly migrations, bighorn sheep frequent these beds and may stay there for an extended period. They may use them again for several years.
  • Bighorn sheep are sociable creatures. Rams form groups of three to five in the spring and go to upper summer ranges where they can roam. Ewes also form groups of 5 to 15 with their lambs and yearlings and go to distinct high regions. 
  • The rams split up in the fall to join various bands of ewes and young throughout the rutting season. For the winter, bighorn sheep of all sexes and ages congregate in herds numbering in the hundreds. Then an elder ewe guides them as she leads them into lower valley elevations.

FOOD HABITS

  • Bighorn sheep are grass-eating creatures, but they also consume sedges and other herbs throughout the summer when their body fat levels rise. They rely on browsing willows, shrubs, forbs, sage, bearberry, roses, and other woody plants throughout the winter, when plants are dormant. They consume snow or get water from pools in the mountains.
  • Bighorn sheep browse on grasses, clover, and sedges during the warmer months. In the colder months, they switch to consuming woody plants like sage and willow. Bighorn sheep frequently consume holly and cacti in desert regions. Bighorn sheep have complicated four-part stomachs that allow them to consume vast amounts of food quickly before hiding, chewing, and digesting their food safely from predators. The sheep can endure extended periods without water because they can absorb moisture throughout this digestive process.

BEHAVIOR

  • Away from female groupings and young sheep flocks, mature males spend the majority of the year in bachelor flocks. Young females typically live their entire lives in their mother’s flock, which is commanded by an older ewe. All ewes, even those with young rams with larger horns, are inferior.
  • Although rams and ewes frequently interact to breed, wild sheep typically live in social groupings. While females live in herds with other females and their young rams, rams live in bachelor groups. Rams congregate in bigger groups during fall mating, and ram fighting intensifies.
  • Each spring, lambs are born on high, isolated ledges away from bighorn predators like wolves, coyotes, and mountain lions—but not from golden eagles, which don’t like lambs. Soon after birth, infants can stand and walk, and at one week old, each lamb and its mother join the others in a herd.
  • Typically, the breeding season lasts from October through December (At different latitudes, the season can begin as early as August and extend to early January). Ewes can reproduce as young as a yearling, although they often don’t until they are 2 1/2 years old. Expectant ewes slink away to a protected ledge in the spring following the yearly migration back to the high country and after a 180-day gestation period to give birth to a single healthy lamb.

EXTINCTION

  • The dramatic history of the bighorn sheep involves being on the verge of extinction and recovering significantly with the aid of conservation initiatives. 
  • Less than 85,000 bighorn sheep are left in North America, compared to estimates of 1.5 to 2 million in the eighteenth century. The secret to the bighorn sheep’s long-term safety and recuperation is their separation from domestic sheep.
  • Bighorn sheep populations across the West have been decimated by domestic livestock competition for forage, loss of water sources due to human or livestock use or diversion, mining operations, auto accidents on highways, the military bombing of training ranges, and the spread of several diseases brought by domestic livestock. 
  • Bighorn populations no longer exist in numerous separate mountain ranges, and significant Interstates have severed mountain ranges’ connections. Fortunately, state laws and regulations that successfully allow for regulated hunting in a way that preserves bighorn sheep populations have eliminated the problem of historic overhunting.

Bighorn Sheep Worksheets

This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about the Bighorn Sheep across 31 in-depth pages. These ready-to-use worksheets are perfect for teaching kids about the Bighorn Sheep, an iconic species of the American West, known for their large horns and agile mountain-climbing abilities.

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

  • Bighorn Sheep Facts 
  • 4 Pics, 1 Word
  • Bighorn Vision
  • Complete Me!
  • Unscramble Me!
  • Crossing Puzzle
  • My Bighorn 
  • Big Fact or Big Bluff
  • Pin the location
  • Away from extinction
  • Your Response

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a bighorn sheep?

Bighorn sheep, also known as Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, are a species of wild sheep that are native to North America. They are known for their large, curved horns and their ability to climb steep, rocky terrain.

What do bighorn sheep eat?

Bighorn sheep are herbivores and primarily eat grasses, forbs, and woody plants. Their diet can vary depending on the season and availability of food.

How do bighorn sheep survive in the wild?

Bighorn sheep have several adaptations that help them survive in the wild. They have strong legs and hooves that allow them to climb steep, rocky terrain, and their horns provide protection against predators. They also have a thick coat that insulates them from the cold and a keen sense of smell that helps them locate food and avoid predators.

What is the population of bighorn sheep?

The population of bighorn sheep varies depending on the location. Some populations have been greatly reduced due to habitat loss and disease, while others have recovered with conservation efforts.

Why are bighorn sheep important?

Bighorn sheep are important for several reasons, including their cultural and ecological significance. They are an important game animal for hunters and have cultural importance for many indigenous peoples. Ecologically, bighorn sheep play a role in shaping the vegetation of their habitat and are an important prey species for predators.

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Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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