Dall sheep

Dall sheep, sometimes called thinhorn sheep. Related to the musk ox and the mountain goat, these sheep can have either black, grey, or white coats, depending on the subspecies.

Dall sheep come from the Alaskan mountains and are found in relatively dry country. This includes open alpine ridges, meadows, and steep slopes with extremely rugged "escape terrain" in the immediate vicinity. They use the ridges, meadows, and steep slopes for feeding and resting. When danger approaches they flee to the rocks and crags to elude pursuers. They are generally high country animals but sometimes can be found in rocky gorges below timberline in Alaska.

Dall rams are distinguished by massive curling horns. These horns are made of keratin, the same substance as fingernails. The ewes have shorter, more slender, slightly curved horns. Rams resemble ewes until they are about 3 years old. After that, continued horn growth makes them easily recognizable. Horns grow steadily during spring, summer, and early autumn. In late autumn or winter horn growth slows and eventually stops altogether. This is probably a result of changes in body chemistry during the rut, or breeding season. This start-and-stop growth of horns results in a pattern of rings which are spaced along the length of the horn. These annual rings can be distinguished from the other rough corrugations on the sheep’s horns, and age can be accurately determined by counting them. They usually live to 12 years old. The rams often fight against each other to get to a ewe, which is what their horns are very well designed for.

Ewes have just one lamb, and the ewe-lamb pairs remain in the lambing cliffs a few days until the lambs are strong enough to travel. Lambs begin feeding on vegetation within a week after birth and are usually weaned by October. Normally, ewes have their first lamb at age 3 and produce a lamb annually.

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