# Bighorn sheep (*Ovis canadensis*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/bighorn-sheep  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) is a mammal in the family Bovidae, subfamily Antilopinae and tribe Caprini, within the order Artiodactyla. It is a large, terrestrial herbivore with a cathemeral activity pattern, and adults weigh 74.64 kg, with reported values from 69.12 to 119 kg. Gestation lasts 180 days, litters average 1.03 young with 1 litter per year, and sexual maturity comes at 2.0 years. Its lifespan is 20.6 years, with values up to 24 years reported, and the IUCN lists it as Least Concern, which is not a threatened category.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 69.1 kg – 119 kg |
| Length | Not recorded |
| Lifespan | 20.6 years |
| Diet | Herbivore |
| Longest recorded lifespan | 24 years |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | Not recorded |
| Gestation | 175 days – 180 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | 1.03 |
| Age at maturity | 23.2 months – 2.05 years |
| Litters or clutches a year | 1 |
| Active | Day and night (cathemeral) |
| Lifestyle | Terrestrial |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Mammalia
- order: Artiodactyla
- family: Bovidae
- genus: Ovis
- species: *Ovis canadensis* Shaw, 1804

## Common questions

### How heavy is a bighorn sheep?

Adult bighorn sheep weigh 74.64 kg, with reported values from 69.12 to 119 kg.

### What does a bighorn sheep eat?

The bighorn sheep is a herbivore.

### Is the bighorn sheep endangered?

No. The IUCN lists the bighorn sheep as Least Concern, which is not a threatened category.

### How long does a bighorn sheep live?

The bighorn sheep has a lifespan of 20.6 years, with values up to 24 years reported.

### How many young does a bighorn sheep have?

Bighorn sheep have 1.03 young per litter and 1 litter per year, after a gestation period of 180 days.

### What kind of animal is a bighorn sheep?

The bighorn sheep is a mammal in the family Bovidae and the order Artiodactyla.

### Who named the bighorn sheep?

The bighorn sheep, Ovis canadensis, was named by Shaw in 1804.

### When does a bighorn sheep reach sexual maturity?

Bighorn sheep reach sexual maturity at 2.0 years (728 days), with reported values from 1.9 to 2.1 years.

## Sources

- [An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1), CC0 1.0, E096-269. Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1
- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [EltonTraits 1.0: species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1), CC0 1.0, 1.0. Wilman, H., Belmaker, J., Simpson, J., de la Rosa, C., Rivadeneira, M.M. & Jetz, W. (2014) EltonTraits 1.0: Species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals. Ecology 95: 2027. https://doi.org/10.1890/13-1917.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/bighorn-sheep