AnAge entry for Ovis canadensis

Classification (HAGRID: 01632)

Taxonomy: Kingdom: Animalia
    Phylum: Chordata
        Class: Mammalia (Taxon entry)
            Order: Artiodactyla
                Family: Bovidae
                    Genus: Ovis
Species: Ovis canadensis
Common name: Bighorn sheep

Maximum longevity: 20.6 years (captivity)
Source: ref. 671
Sample size: Medium
Data quality: Acceptable
Observations: Young females have an over 90% survival in the wild, though an increased mortality with age has been reported for both males and females after about 8 years of age [0800]. It has been reported that these animals live up to 24 years in captivity [0573], which could be overestimated. Record longevity in captivity is 20.6 years [0671]. In one study ewes that experienced poor early growth had prolonged growth at the expense of reproductive fitness and weaned a smaller portion of lambs [1202].

: No information is available on life history. Please contact us if you wish to suggest or contribute data.

[1202] Marcil-Ferland et al. (2013), Despite catch-up, prolonged growth has detrimental fitness consequences in a long-lived vertebrate (PubMed)
[1135] Lemaitre et al. (2013), Comparing free-ranging and captive populations reveals intra-specific variation in aging rates in large herbivores (PubMed)
[1143] Nussey et al. (2013), Senescence in natural populations of animals: widespread evidence and its implications for bio-gerontology (PubMed)
[0671] Richard Weigl (2005), Longevity of Mammals in Captivity; from the Living Collections of the World
[0036] Savage et al. (2004), The predominance of quarter-power scaling in biology
[0420] White and Seymour (2003), Mammalian basal metabolic rate is proportional to body mass2/3 (PubMed)
[0800] Loison et al. (1999), Age-specific survival in five populations of ungulates: evidence of senescence
[0441] William Burt et al. (1998), A Field Guide to Mammals
[0455] Virginia Hayssen et al. (1993), Asdell's Patterns of Mammalian Reproduction: A Compendium of Species-Specific Data
[0573] David Macdonald (1985), The Encyclopedia of Mammals
[0731] Zullinger et al. (1984), Fitting sigmoid equations to mammalian growth curves