IN PHOTOS: Amazing Bighorn Sheep in Nevada

Published On: January 13, 2019 12:00 PM NPT By: Shova Gyawali  | @ShovaGyawali


UNITED STATES, Jan 13: In the pictures here are Desert Bighorn Sheep, which can be found in Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada in the United States.

The desert (Nelson) bighorn sheep is the state animal of Nevada. It is a subspecies of bighorn sheep that occurs in mountain ranges throughout the southwest, according to local web portal Travel Nevada.  

In Nevada, they are found throughout the southern, central, and western part of the state in mountain ranges as far north as Interstate 80. The most conspicuous feature of the desert bighorn sheep is their large permanent brown horns.

"Both ram (male) and ewe (female) have them, though the horns of rams are much bigger and more curved. Each horn is in a “C” shape, known as a curl, and consists of a sheath of keratin (a hard protein found in fingernails and hair) covering a boney core," the portal stated quoting the Nevada Department of Wildlife.

The desert bighorn is roughly five feet in length and can weigh up to 180 pounds with an average lifespan between six to eight years. Some individuals have been documented in Nevada up to 18 years of age, the portal added. (With inputs from Travel Nevada)





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