Bighorn sheep Ovis canadensis Least concern
Where the bighorn sheep lives – recorded in 3 countries, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.
Pin and shaded countries are approximate. The pin is a representative wild sighting (a central record among 3,231 open-licence GBIF records), not an official range. Method · Records on GBIF · See antelopes, wild cattle, sheep & goats on the world map
| Scientific name | Ovis canadensis |
|---|---|
| Group | Antelopes, wild cattle, sheep & goats |
| Status | Least concern (Wikidata, IUCN category label) |
| Found in | 3 countries |
| Continents | North America |
| Class | Mammal |
| Order | Artiodactyla |
| Family | Bovidae |
Where does the bighorn sheep live?
Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the bighorn sheep in 3 countries and territories across North America.
Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.
Is the bighorn sheep endangered?
The bighorn sheep’s conservation status recorded in Wikidata is “Least concern” (an IUCN Red List category label). Source: Wikidata.
What kind of animal is the bighorn sheep?
The bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) is a mammal in the order Artiodactyla and the family Bovidae, genus Ovis. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)
About the bighorn sheep
The bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) or bighorn is a species of sheep native to North America. It is named for its large horns, a pair of them may weigh up to 14 kg (30 lb); the sheep altogether 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.
Sheep originally crossed to North America over the Bering Land Bridge from Siberia; the population in North America peaked in the millions, and the bighorn sheep entered into the mythology of Native Americans. By 1900, the population had crashed to several thousand due to diseases introduced through European livestock and overhunting.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Bighorn sheep (revision 1377638644), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q189466 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).
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