| Dall’s Sheep inhabit undisturbed and extremely rugged mountains. They migrate between summer and winter ranges, eating grasses and shrubs. Males and females live apart except during the mating season. Both sexes have horns, which - as with all bovids - are permanent, not shed annually as are antlers. Bovid horns have a bony core that is attached to the skull and a horny outer sheath. The horns of Dall's Sheep grow throughout the animal's lifetime, developing annual bands that can be counted much like tree-rings. Males' horns are larger. Predators include wolves, lynx, coyote, grizzly bears, and wolverines, and lambs are sometimes taken by golden eagles. Lambs are born in May in the safety of secluded cliffs, which they are able to negotiate with their mothers within 24 hours. To survive their first hard winter, they have to gain weight rapidly.
Also known as:
Stone's Sheep, Fannin's Sheep
Males are much heavier than females.
1.3-1.8 m males; 1.3-1.6 m females
73-110 kg males; 46-50 kg females
Nelson, E.W., 1884. A new geographic race of mountain sheep (Ovis montana dalli) from Alaska. Proceedings of theUnited States Museum, 7:12-13.
Mammal Species of the World
Mammalian Species, American Society of Mammalogists' species account
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