Search results
Results From The WOW.Com Content Network
Desert bighorn sheep populations have trended upward since the 1960s. The upward trend was caused by conservation measures, including habitat preservation. In 1978, desert bighorn sheep populations were estimated at 8,415-9,040. [15] A state-by-state survey published in 1985 estimated the overall US desert bighorn sheep population at 15,980. [16]
The land varies from swamps, Piney Woods in the east, rocky hills and limestone karst in the central Hill Country of the Edwards Plateau, desert in the south and west, mountains in the far west (the Trans-Pecos), and grassland prairie in the north, also known as the Panhandle.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is working to restore populations of the native desert bighorn sheep and will release some in Franklin Mountains this fall.
The Desert NWR contains six major mountain ranges, including the Sheep Range, with heights up to 10,000 feet (3,000 m) and valleys around 2,500 feet (760 m). Annual rainfall in the range varies from less than four inches (100 mm) in the valleys to over fifteen inches (380 mm) on the mountain peaks.
The refuge is in the Upper Sonoran life zone characterized by semi-desert vegetation and grassland. One hundred and seventy two species of birds, including 5 species of hummingbirds, have been seen on the refuge. Large mammals include mule deer, mountain lion, desert bighorn sheep, black bear, and the introduced oryx. [2]
The Desert bighorn sheep is the state mammal of Nevada. [51] The Bighorn sheep was featured in the children's book Buford the Little Bighorn (1967) by Bill Peet. The Bighorn sheep named Buford has a huge pair of horns in the Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter, similar to Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
In November 2013, 31 adult bighorn sheep were reintroduced to the area. In early February 2014, 2 lambs were spotted by an Arizona Game and Fish Department official. These two are the first Catalina-born desert bighorn sheep in nearly 25 years. [1] Plant life at lower elevations includes saguaro cactus and other desert plants.
It preserves habitat for desert bighorn sheep, the endangered southwestern willow flycatcher, and other animals. The refuge protects 30 river miles - 300 miles (480 km) of shoreline - from Needles, California, to Lake Havasu City, Arizona.