Escalante Ram is a photograph by Janice Pariza which was uploaded on March 22nd, 2017.
Escalante Ram
A lone Big Horn Desert Sheep grazes in the Dominguez-Escalante Wildlife Refuge in Delta, Colorado on a Spring day.... more
Title
Escalante Ram
Artist
Janice Pariza
Medium
Photograph - Photography Art
Description
A lone Big Horn Desert Sheep grazes in the Dominguez-Escalante Wildlife Refuge in Delta, Colorado on a Spring day.
Desert bighorn sheep are among the most intriguing mammals of canyon country. They are wary of human contact and blend so well into the terrain they inhabit that sightings are a special event. Once in danger of becoming extinct, the desert bighorn sheep (Onis Canadensis) have made a comeback in parts of western Colorado. A small population was reintroduced to Colorado National Monument in 1979. While more than 230 sheep have been sighted and monitored across the public lands of the Grand Valley, about 40 bighorn thrive in and around Colorado National Monument (2010).
Unlike their Rocky Mountain cousins, desert bighorn have adapted to hot, dry climates, and have longer legs, lighter coats, and smaller bodies. They can live without water for days. Their diet of bluegrass, brome, fescue, clover phlox, and cinquefoil supplies a good portion of their water needs.
Ovis Canadensis can maneuver steep red rock canyons bounded by high, flat ridges, and use this terrain to evade predators - such as mountain lions. They have flexible hooves equipped with soft spongy pads that help them cling to rocks.
Bighorn sheep are common in American Indian rock art, an indication of their presence and prominence in indigenous cultures. Accounts from European explorers in the late 1600s estimate that more than two million desert bighorn once roamed the southwest. However, by the late 1800s bighorn sheep had disappeared or declined in many areas. Extremely vulnerable to diseases from European livestock, herd after herd of wild sheep were decimated by pathogens like scabies (an ear mite) and anthrax (a bacterial disease) introduced by domestic sheep. Bighorns were also killed by early explorers, settlers, and trophy hunters.
Increased human activity and development continue to threaten the desert bighorn sheep. For the remaining herds to survive, management may always be necessary. Protecting wild lands is key to the survival of these amazing animals, and The Colorado Division of Wildlife in partnership with Colorado National Monument will continue to play a large role in these ongoing efforts.
For Information
Join My Mailing List;
janice-rae-pariza.pixels.com
Copyright Janice Rae Pariza producer of Crazy Woman Art
Fine Art American Logo will not appear on your finished product.
PURCHASE OPTIONS:
Prints of this art are available on canvas, metal, acrylic and gallery prints, framed or unframed, greeting cards and iPhone or Galaxy phone covers . FAA has a large selection of frames, mats and surfaces available for you to create museum quality masterpieces of your original print selections.
IF YOU LIKE MY ART, I would be appreciative it if you would take a moment to favorite, like, tweet, pin to pinterest, google, stumbleupon and facebook . This enables my art and photography to be found on FAA and other internet searches.
I hope you enjoyed this visual journey! Please return often as I upload fresh work quite often! I am grateful for your time!
Uploaded
March 22nd, 2017