Those Horns and Hoofs

Rocky Mountain Ram

2 ft. x 2 ft.

Woodburned on pine plywood

"Hurtling  through air with massive horn

The crash echoes down the mountain valleys

Perching on hind feet with mighty speed born

Rams duel it out on crevice alleys."

---Bonnie Patterson

One of my favorite mammals to watch, study, or draw is the Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep. I can't get enough of them.  They are fascinating to observe, especially as they walk up near- vertical rock faces.  It is astounding how sure-footed they are and seemingly fearless.  

Bighorn sheep are the largest wild sheep in North America, ranging from southern Canada through the western United States to Mexico. Their lifespan is an average of 10 years.  For body size, the rams can get to 42 inches at the shoulders and about 5.1 feet long as adults, weighing up to 300 pounds.  

What I want to focus on regarding the mighty Bighorn is their horns and their hoofs, both marvelous in design and purpose.   First, let's examine their horns.

Imagine having two 30 pound horns on your head!  That is what their horns can weigh.  The horn weight is more than all the bones combined in their body.  Some Bighorn sheep have been measured to having 3 foot 3 inch horn length following the outer curve.  They usually reach full horn curl by around 7 - 8 years.  Some have been recorded to have more than a 1 foot circumference at the base. That's a lot of horn!

"Headgear"

16' x 20"

Acrylic

Looking closer at the Bighorn's skull composition enables you to see how a ram can survive the 20 - 40 m.p.h. charges into another ram during their rut or mating season duels.  Their skulls are thick with a double layer of bone to absorb the repeated collisions.  The National Wildlife Federation described the males as having "large horn cores, enlarged cornual frontal sinuses, and internal bony septa".  Septa are thin membranes dividing 2 structures or soft masses of tissue in an organism. The Bighorns' strong, very powerful neck ligaments are designed to dissipate  the charge impact.  Through the sheeps' anatomy, their brains are wonderfully protected. 

8 ft. x 8 ft. chalk drawing
Denver Chalk Art Festival

Now let's take a look at Bighorn hoofs.  Here again we see intentional design and purpose. Their hoofs can take on those steep vertical rock climbs because the hoofs are split which aids in balance, while the bottoms are made for gripping.  The National Wildlife Federation describes the outer hoofs as being " modified toenails shaped to snag any protrusion, while a soft inner pad provides a grip that conforms to each variable surface."  Thus, the Bighorn's four wheel drive capacity.

The book of Genesis states right off the bat that "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."  And part of that creative action was the amazing horn and hoof design of the Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep.  Intentional and purposive design.  The same God that made the hoof of the Bighorn is also the one that King David said made him "as sure-footed as a deer, enabling him to stand on mountain heights."  Many times in our lives we will find ourselves in mountainous terrain with the things that life throws at us.  We will need that sure-footed ability that only God can instill in us, to walk wisely and not slip down the treacherous rocky scree in problem situations.  During those times we can be assured that God is our Rock and our Refuge, an "ever present help in times of trouble."  We have an amazing and awesome God!  

 Enjoy a close look at these noble creatures in this Colorado Parks and Wildlife video:

Live bravely and beautifully!