Habitat

Wild sheep move throughout mountain, canyon, plateau and open grassland ranges depending on the time of year in order to find the best habitats and food. They prefer open territory with rugged terrain nearby where they can easily see and escape predators. A herd of adult females with young (average of 25 individuals) will generally maintain their own seasonal territory, with the smaller adult male groups traveling between them. The rams will gather into slightly larger groups before the breeding season in order to establish dominance.

Diet

Wild sheep are primarily grazers. They eat grasses, sedges, forbs and some browse. They gather most of their water from the vegetation they eat in the summer and snow during the winter. Wild sheep can go for long periods without consuming freestanding water.

Breeding

The rut (mating period) occurs from early November to late December, depending on the region and climate. At this time you may see the rams sniffing the ewe’s urine and perineal region, then displaying a characteristic lip-curl or flemen response. This is the way a ram will test if she is in estrous and ready to breed. A ewe reaches puberty at about 18 months, but is usually not bred until she is about 2 ½ years old. A ram may be much older before he is allowed to breed through a competitive dominance social system. The ewes will be pregnant for about 175 days. The ewe will usually have only one lamb weighing between 2.8-5.5 kg (6-12 lbs). From April to July, most mature ewes have a lamb at their side and will be lactating. Sometimes a ewe with a lamb is leaner than a ewe with no lamb.