The desert bighorn sheep is a subspecies of bighorn sheep that is native to the deserts of the United States' intermountain west and southwestern regions, as well as northwestern Mexico. The Bureau of Land Management considered the subspecies "sensitive" to extinction.
Desert bighorn sheep
Rams battling with their horns
The bighorn sheep is a species of sheep native to North America. It is named for its large horns. A pair of horns may weigh up to 14 kg (30 lb); the sheep typically weigh up to 143 kg (315 lb). Recent genetic testing indicates three distinct subspecies of Ovis canadensis, one of which is endangered: O. c. sierrae.
Image: New Mexico Bighorn Sheep
Image: Bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis)
Female Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep (O. c. canadensis) in Yellowstone National Park
A juvenile (lamb)