Peninsula Desert Bighorn Sheep
This pair of juvenile Peninsular Desert Bighorn Sheep were practicing their sparing skills. They were among a large 'ewe group' made up of females and lambs in the desert, and they were pretty feisty! Their horns, which do not shed like antlers, will continue to grow and curl around their faces by about eight years of age. As they age, their sparing will turn into a more a more serious battle to compete for a mate as they charge and butt their heads together. They can deliver a head-butt at 35 mph and the sound created when two charge each other can be heard a mile away.