File:American bighorn sheep standing close up - DPLA - 7c1a88a0419dd0c676118eb7a8f8c7b2.jpg

35 mm slide; color. Scientific Classification: Kingdom: Animalia; Phylum: Chordata; Class: Mammalia; Order: Artiodactyla; Family: Bovidae; Genus: Ovis; Genus species: Ovis canadensis. Animal characteristics: Head-Body Length: 168-186 cm; Height: 94-110 cm; Weight: 57-140 kg; Identification: The American bighorn sheep is brown with white rump patches. Both sexes have horns; however, males have larger and more spiraled horns; Habitat: High mountain pastures; Diet: Herbivore: grass, young plants and flowers; Reproduction: Females gestate for 175 days before giving birth to one or two lambs. The average lifespan of American bighorn sheep is nine years, but some have lived as long as 24 years; Social Structure: During the summer, American bighorn sheep usually graze independently. Mixed herds form in the winter; Behavior: The American bighorn sheep is active by day, feeding early morning, midday and evening; it lies down and chews its cud at other times and retires to bedding spots for the night; Status: Lower risk; conservation dependent; Interesting Facts: The American bighorn sheep has hooves that are hard on the outer edge and spongy in the center, providing good traction even on sheer rock. The American bighorn sheep has always been prized for its meat; the horns were used by the Shoshone and Gros Ventre tribes to make powerful bows and are still prized by hunters as trophies.