Ram Animal Information
A ram is a male sheep---the slang term being "buck." Rams are always full-grown males and generally have the same characteristics and diet as other sheep, but they differ in terms of the habitat in which they live. Most species of rams are wild; however, many are also domesticated and kept on farms.
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Physical Characteristics
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Rams are famous for their large, curled horns. The larger their horns, the better, since the horns serve as a symbol of status and are used as a weapon when battling other rams over mating rights. The weight of a typical ram is about 117 to 279 lbs. (53 to 127 kg). The shoulder height is around 32 to 40 inches. A ram has very good eyesight, which is mainly used for observing the surrounding areas for predators.
Diet
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Being an herbivore, a ram's diet mainly consists of grasses, cacti, forbs and other plants available to their living area. Bighorns---a type of wild ram---living in the desert eat a mixture of desert plants and obtain moisture from them. When eating cacti, they use their horns and hooves to get rid of the spines and then eat the plant with all the juice inside. Some bighorn rams have a 9-stage digestive process, allowing them to utilize nutrients from low-quality foods.
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Behavior
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They live among a bachelor herd---meeting the female ewes only during mating season. During this season, the tension between these male sheep builds as they fight for dominance. Usually, the older and stronger ones win and are able to mate more successfully.
Habitat
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Some rams---such as bighorns---live on mountains and deserts. Desert bighorns use both perspiring and panting as a cooling mechanism.
Breeding
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Mating occurs during November and December. During the breeding season, rams can become very aggressive and in a 60-day breeding season, one ram is able to mate with up to 35 female ewes---although, most males are not able to do so until they are 7 years old due to the tough competition.
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References
- Photo Credit Black Ram image by Andrew Breeden from Fotolia.com
