Wildlife North America . com
North American Animals - mamals, birds, reptiles, insects

 Dall's Sheep (Ovis dalli)

Dall's Sheep | Ovis dalli photo
Sheep Outside of Jasper National Park, Alaska
Photograph copyright: Jesse Keller - all rights reserved. Used with permission.  (view image details)




Dall's Sheep | Ovis dalli photo
Dall Sheep photographed at Turnagain Arm during Alaska travel vacation.
Photograph copyright: Shellie Raney - all rights reserved. Used with permission.  (view image details)

Dall's Sheep | Ovis dalli photo
Dall Sheep photographed at Turnagain Arm during Alaska travel vacation.
Photograph copyright: Shellie Raney - all rights reserved. Used with permission.  (view image details)





DALL'S SHEEP FACTS
Description
There are two subspecies of Dall's Sheep. Ovis dalli dalli has white or creamy white wool, sometimes with grey patches on middle of back. Some have black tail and some have white tail. Ovis dalli stonei has a grey to black wool with white underside and white rump patch. In both subspecies, females have slender horns, while males have large stout curled horns. The horns are amber or almost transparent.

Other Names
Stone's Sheep, Stone Sheep

Size
Length: males 1.3 - 1.8m; females 1.3 - 1.6m. Males weight up to 110kg, about twice the weight of females who grow to 50kg.

Environment
undisturbed rugged mountains in arctic and sub-arctic, feeding on nearby grassland and meadows. They use steep, rugged cliffs and outcrops to escape from predators.

Food
grasses and shrubs

Breeding
A single lamb is born after gestation period of about 175 days. Lambs are weaned after 3 - 5 months of age, and they grow to 27-30 kg by 9 months of age

Range
mountain ranges of northeast, central and southern Alaska, as well as in the Yukon Territory, the northwest corner of British Columbia

Notes
The horns of Dall's Sheep grow throughout the life of the sheep forming rings inside the horn like tree rings. The males have a double layer of bone on their skulls to help absorb impacts of head clashes during battles between males

Classification
Class:Mammalia
Order:Artiodactyla
Family:Bovidae
Genus:Ovis
Species:dalli
Common Name:Dall's Sheep


Relatives in same Genus
  Bighorn Sheep (O. canadensis)







Home | Mammals | Reptiles | Birds | Insects | Privacy Policy | Disclaimer | Contact Us