• Home
  • Coniferous Animals
  • Coniferous Trees
  • About Coniferous Forest
  • Contact
Home > Coniferous Forest Animals > Dall Sheep

Dall Sheep

Dall sheep, named after the American naturalist Mr. William Healey Dall, is an ungulate found in the Northwest of North America. The most striking feature is the massive curly horns in the males that add to its ornamentation. Females, on the other hand, have inconspicuous horns. The age rings on the horns, also known as annuli, are used in aging an individual.

Dall Sheep

Dall Sheep

Scientific Classification

KingdomAnimalia
PhylumChordata
ClassMammalia
OrderArtiodactyla
FamilyBovidae
SubfamilyCaprinae
GenusOvis
Scientific NameOvis dalli dalli

Quick Information

Other NamesThinhorn sheep, Dall’s sheep
Physical CharacteristicsAverage Body Size: Male – 4.26-5.84 ft (130-178 cm); female – 4.33-5.31 ft (132-162 cm)

Average Height: 3.01-3.58 ft (92-109 cm) in males

Average Weight: Male – 159.8-181.4 lb (72.5-82.3 kg); female – 102.2-111.1 lb (46.4-50.4 kg)

Color: Creamy white to pure white fur and tail, some may sport a black tail, and gray patches on their backs

Sexual Dimorphism: Males are larger and heavier than females; horns of the males are longer, curlier and pointier than those of females

DistributionBritish Columbia, Yukon and Northwest Territories  in Canada and Alaska in the United States
HabitatAt elevations of 6,562 ft (2,000 m) in Alpine and Arctic regions; grassy mountainsides during spring, higher alpine pastures in the summer, areas with less snowfall in the winter
Lifespan11-14 years
CommunicationThrough touch and chemical channels
Diet: What do Dall sheep eatHerbivorous; eats sedges, grasses, lichens, dwarf willows, mosses
AdaptationsMales have two layers of bones in their skulls to protect from heavy injuries sustained during fights with other males; during winter, the pelage thickens by up to 2 in (5 cm) to absorb the cold
Breeding SeasonBetween late November to early December
Gestation Period175 days
Breeding FrequencyReproduction occurs annually
PredatorsGrizzly bears, black bears, coyotes, wolves; golden eagles prey on the young
DiseasesPneumonia
IUCN Conservation StatusLeast Concern
Dalls Sheep

Dalls Sheep

Texas Dall Sheep

Texas Dall Sheep

Behavior

Male Dall sheep or rams do not mingle with the females, or ewes outside of the mating season. Instead they live in bachelor bands which has a social hierarchy, particularly during summer, with dominance determined based on the size of the horns.

Altercations are rare between the dominant and subordinate males but in case there are two rams with equal horn size, a fight generally ensues to establish order. Such fights are often noisy with each party backing off a certain distance before converging towards each other to butt heads.

Ewes live in groups consisting of other ewes, lambs, both immature males and females, and yearlings. Lambs are playful amongst themselves. Clashes between mature ewes are rare but when it does occur, usually the older individual prevails.

Dall Sheep Female

Dall Sheep Female

Dall Sheep Baby

Dall Sheep Baby

Mating & Reproduction

To detect an ewe in estrus, rams curl their lips and use their sense of smell. If such a female is found, the dominant male removes other potential mates from the area and pursues the female to gauge her receptiveness. If she submits, they mate, after which the male guards the female for 2-3 days to ensure she is not mated with by another male.

Dall Sheep

Dall Sheep

Alaskan Dall Sheep

Alaskan Dall Sheep

Life Cycle

A single lamb is born after the gestation period, twins may occur, albeit rarely. The juveniles weigh at around 6.6-8.8 lbs (3-4 kg) at birth. They become able to stand about 30 minutes after birth, and start to follow their mother after about a day. Growth rate of the lambs is rather quick.

Female Dall sheep reach sexual maturity at 2.5 years old while males attain gusto at 1.5 years of age.

Dall Sheep Horns

Dall Sheep Horns

Dall Sheep Hunting

Dall Sheep Hunting

Interesting Facts

  • The horns of the Dall’s sheep are made of keratin which is the same substance found in human nails.
  • It can take up to 8 years for the horns of a ram to grow to its entirety.
  • The Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska was established in the early twentieth century to protect the Dall sheep from over-hunting.
Dall Sheep Size

Dall Sheep Size

Dall Sheep Skull

Dall Sheep Skull

References

  1. https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm%3Fadfg%3Ddallsheep.main
  2. http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Ovis_dalli/
  3. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=1028&context=zoonoticspub
  4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dall_sheep
  5. https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/39250/22149895

Published on November 24th 2016 by Sudipto Chakrabarti under Coniferous Forest Animals.
Article was last reviewed on 9th May 2023.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

+ 35 = 36

    • Recent Posts

      • Cedar Tree of Lebanon
      • Eastern Red Cedar
      • Black-backed Woodpecker
      • Eastern Gray Squirrel
      • Bohemian Waxwing
      • Norway Spruce
      • Douglas Squirrel
      • Northern Goshawk
      • Bighorn Sheep
      • Eastern Milk Snake
      • Ovenbird
      • California Redwood
      • Western Terrestrial Garter Snake
      • Foxtail Pine
      • Snow Goose
    • Categories

      • Coniferous Forest Animals
      • Coniferous Trees
        • Cedar
        • Cypress
        • Fir
        • Hemlock
        • Juniper
        • Larch
        • Pine
        • Spruce
        • Yew

© 2025 (Coniferous Forest). All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

  • Privacy Policy