OCR Text |
Show MOUNTAIN SPECIES OF THE TIMES MONTH BEAUTIFUL BIGHORN SHEEP By Pamela M. Poulson Manager of Environmental Education Red Butte Garden and Arboretum I: a chilly mountain meadow, two strong challengers face off in a showdown. Snorting and grunting, they circle, shove and kick one another. Neither surrenders, but both grow still and rigid. Then as if at a signal, the two rear up on their hind legs and charge, heads down, at 20 miles per hour. CRACK! The calm of a November day is split by hollow wooden percussion, echoing through the canyons, CRACK! From nearly five miles away, the knocking heads of battering Bighorn rams is distinct. It is mating season and the strongest rams are battling it out for possession of their selected ewes Their chief weapons are their great spiraled horns. The impressive horns leave no question about how the Bighorns got their name. A male’s massive headset can weigh up to 30 pounds and measure 45 inches around the outside curve. Although handsome, big horns can cause problems. They are heavy and sometimes grow long enough to impair vision. Rams must broom the tips on a rock or tree to rub them down Stunned by the impact, the groggy fighters shake their heads, and back off for another charge. They butt each other for hours, until one suitor concedes the battle. Although a ram may be knocked out, very few are ever seriously hurt. Their skull structure and massive neck muscles absorb most of the force, enabling them to withstand the terrific blows. BIGHORN They select a south facing slope that is kept fairly clear of snow by sun and wind. Bighorns’ favorite grasses are aquired only by digging through t 1e snow, and must often substitute less nutritious twigs, buds, and even conifers. Should the snow become too deep, some die of hunger, and lower elevations offer easy pickings for winter Following a 180 day gestation period, one or rarely two lambs are born to each ewe. The lambs struggle to balance on wobbly legs and begin to nurse at once. Only 16 inches tall, the newborns already have tiny buttons on their head where the magnificent horns will be. They walk, run and jump when only a few hours old. In the event that a Golden eagle should attempt to snatch a tastey lamb from the air, he runs for Mom’s side, where she fends off danger with her short, slightly twisted horns. Growing quickly is important for Bighorn lambs. When only a few weeks old they must join the rest of the flock on its return migration to high mountain meadows. By the end of their first summer they weigh as much as 75 pounds, Vulnerable, wide-eyed lambs grow into one of the most majestic animals SHEEP of North America. Beyond heads held high carrying massive curled horns, the stance of the sturdy animals is regal. Their fur is smooth with a surface of brown guard hairs underlain with the fluff of insulating wool. Bighorns can detect movement from 5 miles away and possess comparable excellence in the senses of smell and hearing. ighorns can run briskly along narB: yw ledges, even when wet or icy. They can cross precipices spanning up to 12 feet and can scramble up a sheer cliff at 7 feet per leap. How do Bighorns hang onto those .precipitous ledges? Their hooves have sharp outer edges that dig in and grip earth, gravel or ice. The under surfaces of the hooves are*padded with large, rubbery soles that provide traction on smooth rock. Cloven hooves hold onto rocks like a clothespin. Most of the cud-chewing Bighorns’ diet is made up of grasses, but they will browse on other plants. In the high mountain meadows of summer, food Bighorn Sheep, Ovis canadensis Also known as: Mountain Sheep Total Length: 4 1/4 to 6 feet. Shoulder height: Males up to 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 feet Weight: Males up to 340 pounds ption: Large sheep. Most notable features are large curled horns of the males. Body compact and muscular. Muzzle narrow and pointed. Ears short and pointed. Considerable geographic variation in color. Northern mountain dwellers dark brown. Desert dwellers pale tan, Both with lower belly, rump and muzzle white. Amber-yellow eyes.’ is plentiful, and Bighorns eat almost constantly, developing a body of reserve for the long winter. Rams live separately from the ewes in bachelor bands led by the sheep with the biggest horns. Female bands are led by What it could be confused with: Dall sheep, not present in Utah. Range and Distribution: Throughout the Intermountain West, in the Rocky Mountains from southern Idaho through western Wyoming, Colorado and northeastern Utah. In desert ranges across southern Utah and Nevada. Originally ranging from Alaska to Mexico, but range and numbers severely reduced by disease and hunting in the 20th century. Populations have been introduced to Mount Nebo and Pilot Mountain near Wendover, Habitat: From high mountain meadows above timberline to the desert ranges of the southwest. Before the continent was settled by Europeans, they were also found in the foothills and river valleys, Food: Grasses, shrubs. wildflowers, willow and horsetail. Ruminants. Breeding: Sexually ‘ature at 3 years. Mating by dominant males in November and December. One or two rare) lambs born i in spring or early summer, following a 180° day gestation. Hunting: August and September. Strictly limited, 2 ? an older experienced ewe. In summer at high elevations, there are few enemies that can navigate the habitat of the Bighorn. The most threatening enemies of summer are cougars and golden eagles. As winter approaches, sheep join together to form larger bands of 10 to 100 individuals. The males compete and mate. All members of the herd grow thicker winter coats. After the first heavy snowfall, the band leaves the high country for more sheltered valleys below. They use the same migration year, bears, coyotes When it comes to insurance, it isn’t what you know, but who. FO! BUreoIU FAMILY OF FINANCIAL PLANNING SERVICES FARM BUREAU LIFE INSURANCE COMPAN' WEST DES MOINES, IOWA UTAH pas Berean INSURANCE AKE CITY. UTAH 1901 Prospector Ave. COMPANY Box 680877 Park City, Utah 84068 Bus. (801) 649-4625 Res. (801) 645-8508 Fax (801) 649-3531 The Norwegian School of Nature Life presents a day of fun in Park City in honor of (Syttende Mai, May 17) Saturday, May 18, 1996 Astri’s —710 Main, Park City 10:00 a.m. — Mountain Bike Race (5-7 miles) 10:15 a.m. — Fun Hike Cost: Adults $12 pre-registration, $15 day of the event Youth (5-14) $8 pre-registration, $10 day of the event Includes t-shirt, breakfast by ASTRI'S and prizes up to 25 miles, in single file, following their leader. Call for Information — 801-649-5322 ee Se every wolves, traveling PAGE 9 route predators bobeats and lynx Historically, Bighorns ranged from Canada to Mexico. A trapper reported seeing a band of about 100 rams in the Wasatch Mountains near what is now Ogden, Utah in 1840. Lungworm dis ease and human invasion of habitat have devestated populations and restricted Bighorn range to remot cliffs and wildlife refuges. Poachers find the Bighorn’s rack irresistable killing the ram and taking only his head as a trophy Bighorns are magnificent crea tures. Curious and playful as lambs, strong and sleek as adults. The mountain peaks of western North America belong to them. Watch them and listen from across the canyon for a lesson in adapted endurance. @ |