Canadian moufflon

The Canadian moufflon ( Ovis canadensis ) is one of the two species of the Mouflon S of the North America; the other is ( Ovis Dali ), which includes the Mouflon of Dall and the moufflon of Stone. This Mouflon is a ruminant whose male carries horns bent in volutes.

There exists of three subspecies of the Canadian moufflon:

Ovis canadensis canadensis , the moufflon of the Rocky Mountains
Ovis canadensis sierrae , the moufflon of the Sierra Nevada
Ovis canadensis nelsoni , the moufflon of the Deserted

Characteristics

The males (rams) has large horns curved. The females (ewe) also have horns, but they are short with a light curve. They clearly extend colors from brown with gray or dark, with brown chocolate, with white breeches and a lining on the back of each of the four legs. The ewes of the Rocky Mountains weigh up to 90 kilograms, and the rams can exceed 135 kilograms. On the other hand, the ewes of the Nevada Sierra weigh approximately 63 kilograms with rams weighing 90 kilograms around. The horns of the rams can weigh up to 14 kilograms, as much as the remainder of the bones in the body of the ram.

The Canadian moufflons eat Herbe S and plants shrubby S, in particular in autumn and winter, and they seek normal layers of salt. They are well adapted to assemble the stiff ground where they seek the cover of predatory such as Coyote S, Aigle S, and Puma S. They live in large the Troupeau X, but because they do not have the strict hierarchy of predominance of the Mediterranean moufflon, they cannot be domesticated S. It is because the Canadian moufflons do not follow a ram chief automatically as the Asian ancestors of the domestic sheep did it.

Before the season of rut, the rams try to establish a hierarchy of predominance which determines the access to the ewes to join. It takes place for the period of prerut that the major part of the characteristic horn being opposed occurs between the rams, although this behavior can occur until a degree limited throughout the year. The horns of the ram frequently show damage of the repeated dissensions. The ewes of the moufflon show a six months gestation. In moderated climates, the peak of the rut occurs in November with one, or seldom two, constant lambs being in May. The lambs are then separated for 4-6 month.

The Canadian moufflons are strongly likely certain diseases carried by the domestic Moutons such as the scale and the Pneumonie; additional mortality occurs because of the accidents implying the fall of rock or falling the cliffs (a risk of the life in the stiff and rough ground).

Geographical distribution

External bonds

WILDLIFE SPECIES: Ovis canadensis: many data on the site of the National service of the forests in the United States of America

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