Bighorn Basics
What is the difference between horns and antlers?
Horns are permanent and grow continuously. Antlers fall off each year.
What is a group of bighorn sheep called?
A herd or a band
Are bighorn sheep herbivores, carnivores, or omnivores?
Herbivores
What disease commonly affects bighorn sheep and has caused major die-offs in Montana herds?
Pneumonia
What species of wild sheep lives in Montana's mountains?
Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep
What time of year do bighorn rams typically battle for mates?
Late fall (October to December)
What is the main predator of bighorn sheep in Montana?
Mountain Lions
What do bighorn sheep eat?
Grasses, shrubs, and forbes
Are Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep considered endangered in Montana?
No but they are considered sensitive and protected
True or false. Montana bighorn sheep were once wiped out in parts of Montana.
True. But many herds have been successfully reintroduced?
What month are bighorn sheep lambs usually born in Montana?
May or June
What physical adaptation helps bighorn sheep climb so well?
Rough, split hooves with soft centers for gripping rocks
What do bighorn sheep rely on most for food in winter when food is scarce?
Shrubs and woody plants like sagebrush
True or false. All bighorn sheep in Montana are wild -none are ever transplanted or relocated?
False. Some herds are reintroduced or supplemented through wildlife restoration programs.
Which Montana national park is home to large herds of bighorn sheep?
Glacier National Park
Why do bighorn sheep not have to drink water every day?
They can go days without drinking if they get moisture from plants
How early can lambs start climbing cliffs after birth?
As early as 1-2 days old (by a week old they are keeping up with the herd across the slopes)
What unusual source do bighorn sheep lick to get important nutrients like salt and minerals?
Rocks or soil (natural mineral licks & human pee)
What conservation group helped fund early bighorn sheep restoration efforts in Montana?
Boone & Crockett and Wild Sheep Foundation (we will take either answer)
Where was the world record Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep found? Bob Marshall Wilderness, Wildhorse Island, or Beartooth Mountains?
Wildhorse Island
What are the four species of bighorn sheep?
Rocky Mountain, Dall, Stone, Desert
What mountain range is known for its rugged terrain and bighorn habitat?
Rocky Mountain Front (where we are right now!!)
What kind of digestive system do bighorn sheep have (similar to cows and deer)?
Ruminant (they chew cud and have four chambered stomaches)
Which large land management agencies are responsible for much of Montana's bighorn habitat (1 required)?
Forest Service and/or Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
How old was the oldest recorded bighorn sheep in Montana?
11.5 years old