The Desert Bighorn Sheep Is the National State Animal of Nevada. It was Officially Adopted in 1973. Desert Bighorn Sheep is a beautiful animal and well-suited for Nevada‘s mountainous desert country. It can survive for long periods without water. Nevada State Animal Desert Bighorn Sheep is smaller than its Rocky Mountain cousin but has a wider spread of horns. The large Sheep stand about 4 1/2 feet tall and can weigh as much as 175 pounds.
The State Animal of Nevada desert bighorn sheep is a subspecies of bighorn sheep found in the desert Southwest United States and the northern regions of Mexico. The trinomial of this species commemorates the American naturalist Edward William Nelson (1855-1934). The characteristics and behavior of desert bighorn sheep generally follow Other bighorn sheep. Males Desert Bighorn Sheep are around 119-127kg and are females 53-91 kg. Rams typically measure 160-180 cm from head to tail, while ewes are About 150 cm. Nevada State Animal Bighorn sheep have double-layered skulls shored with struts of bone for battle protection.
Bighorn sheep also have a broad, massive tendon linking skull and spine to help the head pivot and recoil from blows. The number of desert bighorns in North America prior to European settlement of the southwest was most likely in the Nine or Tens of thousands. Tearing declines in the population were attributed to excessive hunting competition and diseases from domestic livestock (particularly domestic sheep) usurpation of watering areas and critical range by human activities and human-induced habitat changes.
Nevada State Animal Desert Bighorn Sheep numbers are extremely low, although the overall population trend has increased since 1960. Bighorn sheep are less vociferous than domestic sheep. The lamb’s bleat and the ewes respond with a guttural “ba.” At other times of the year, adults Big utter throaty rumbles or “blow” in fright. During the rut, the rams frequently snort loudly. The law designating the Desert Bighorn Sheep as the official Nevada state animal is found in the Nevada Revised Statutes, Title 19, Chapter 235, Section 235.070.