Dr. Jeff Villepique, Wildlife Biologist with the Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Inland Deserts Region, will speak about the natural history and legal status of bighorn sheep in California, along with factors driving their population ecology. His talk will cover the unique adaptations of these rare mammals and distinctions among populations in the mountains and deserts of California; some designated Fully Protected, others Federally Endangered. Jeff will also discuss his research into influences of wildfire, drought, and predation risk on habitat selection by bighorn sheep in the Transverse and Sierra Nevada ranges. Diverse factors may limit bighorn populations, however, all may be imperiled by disease and, to a greater or lesser degree, by impacts of drought.
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