Mountain Sheep

Description:

A Mountain Sheep's fur can vary from light brown, to grayish or dark chocolate brown with white. This species has a very large range in weight and size, they stand 85-135 cm (2 ft 9 in to 4 ft 5 in) in height and measure 136 -200 cm ( 4 ft 6 in to 6 ft 7 in) long. Females (ewes) weigh considerably less than males (rams), up to half the size. Ewes weigh 95-220 lbs and rams weigh 220-480 lbs. Mountain sheep in the Rockies share their home with Coyotes. A coyote is large dog like animal with a yellowish-grey and white coat; they generally grow 30–34 in (76–86 cm) in length and 23–26 in (58–66 cm) in height. They weigh from 15–46 lb. The mountain sheep also share their territory with mountain lions who are predators of the mountain sheep. The Mountain lion is the largest cat species, their cat is a light yellow and white, their head and body measure 3.25 to 5.25 ft. They weigh around 136 lbs and mountain sheep are one of its main food sources along with deer, elk, and moose. The symbiotic relation relationship between a mountain lion and a mountain sheep is parasitism because the sheep is harmed while the lion benefits. Things that show how a mountain sheep is designed for its environment are it's horns, jumping ability, and hooves. Their hooves are adapted to their rugged environment by being flexible and giving good traction for jumping from rock to rock. Their horns are to protect them from predators and enemies, their jumping ability puts them at a great advantage for their rocky terrain so they can reach high locations so they can avoid predators especially in birthing season to protect their lamb. Mountain sheep reproduce through sexual reproduction; this happens when a ewe and a ram mate, the general gestation (pregnancy) period of a mountain sheep is 175.

Habitat:

Mountain sheep live in North, and Central America in the rocky and mountainous regions as far south as Baja California and northwestern mainland Mexico. A mountain sheep's main food source consists of grass, seeds, and various plants. The main predators of a mountain sheep are wolves, coyotes, mountain lions, and golden eagles. They use their environment to their advantage, they climb the rugged terrain to get to high elevation points in warmer seasons, and lower elevation for the winter. They also use their climbing ability to protect their young from predators below, another reason that they do well in their environment is because the type of food they eat is always available to them year round.