A pure-white wild sheep of the Arctic mountains — male rams grow massive curling horns that can take 12 years to complete a full curl. Closely related to bighorn sheep but adapted to colder country.
§ Quick facts
§ Encyclopedia
Dall sheep or thinhorn sheep, is a species of wild sheep native to northwestern North America. O. dalli live in mountainous alpine habitats distributed across northwestern British Columbia, the Yukon, Northwest Territories and Alaska. They browse a variety of plants, such as grasses, sedges and even shrubs, such as willow, during different times of the year. They also acquire minerals to supplement their diet from mineral licks. Like other Ovis species, the rams engage in dominance contests with their horns.
Source: Wikipedia — Dall sheep Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
§ Identification
Field marks. Pure white sheep with massive curving amber-colored horns in rams.
Similar species. Bighorn Sheep (brown). Mountain Goat (different horn shape, beard).
Voice. Bleats; horn clashes.
§ Diet & behavior
Diet. Grasses, sedges, forbs of alpine and Arctic habitats.
Behavior. Closely related to Bighorn Sheep; differs in being pure white. Inhabits Arctic and subarctic mountains.
§ Range
Alaska, Yukon, NW Territories, northern BC
§ Habitat
Alpine mountains, rocky ridges
§ Threats
Climate-driven snowpack changes, disease from domestic sheep, predator dynamics, hunting (regulated).
§ Conservation status
According to the IUCN Red List, the dall's sheep is currently classified as Least Concern.
§ What helps
Support Arctic wilderness. Support quarantine rules for domestic sheep adjacent to wild ranges.
§ Further reading
- Wikipedia — Dall sheep
- www.nwf.org — authoritative profile of Ovis dalli
- IUCN Red List · taxon 15732
- iNaturalist · taxon 42392
- GBIF occurrence records
- Encyclopedia of Life — Ovis dalli
§ Sources cited
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game
- American Society of Mammalogists
- IUCN Red List 2020
