The bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) is the most emblematic wildlife species of the state of Baja California. These animals are characterized by the massive, curved, spiral horns of adult males, a structure they use to fight for the right to mate and for dominance in the herds. Females also have horns, but they only extend backward to form a crescent.
There are six subspecies (breeds) of bighorn sheep: two are mountain sheep, O. c. canadensis and O. c. sierrae; the other four are desert sheep, O. c. nelsoni, O. c. mexicana, O. c. cremnobates, and O. c. weemsi. These subspecies differ in size, coat color, and skull and horn size. The four subspecies of desert bighorn sheep live in Mexico, and two of them converge in the state of Baja California: O. c. nelsoni and O. c. cremnobates.
No, the bighorn sheep is found from southern Canada to northwestern Mexico, so it is a species shared by Mexico, the United States, and Canada.
No, but it is a species protected by national and international laws: in Mexico it is classified as a species of special protection, which means that its exploitation must be regulated to avoid its extinction; internationally it can only be traded if its legal origin is proven.
No, the response of a sheep to an approaching person will be to flee, even if the animal feels cornered, it will instinctively look for a way to escape.
Yes, although it is true that their digestive system is adapted to extract the maximum amount of water from food, and they tend to eat cacti to supplement their hydration, the water they obtain in this way is not enough to meet their needs, so they must go to the water holes periodically.
Males live an average of twelve years while females have a life expectancy of fifteen years. In captivity it has been recorded that males can live up to twenty years and females up to twenty-two years.
Bighorn sheep eat virtually every plant that grows in the mountains - except the poisonous ones, of course - so it would take several pages to list the plants they consume; however, in order of importance, their diet consists of shrubs, herbs, trees, cacti, agaves, and grasses.
In Baja California, the only animals that prey on bighorn sheep are the golden eagle and the puma; however, in general, these animals can only prey on sheep under six months of age, since once they reach this age, predators are difficult to surprise or catch.
The human activities that have the greatest impact on the species are poaching, strip mining, extensive ranching, and the construction of infrastructure that fragments their habitat. However, there are other seemingly innocuous activities, such as hiking, that have been shown to negatively impact bighorn sheep if not properly managed, as well as others whose effects on these animals are not fully understood, such as wind farms.
The word cremnobates means "cliff hunter", so the full name of the subspecies Ovis canadensis cremnobates translates to "Canadian Cliff Hunting Ram".
According to the estimate based on the results of the 2021 aerial census - the last census to date in which the entire state was flown over - Baja California is home to 1,697 sheep.
