Previously, three distinct subspecies were attributed to the name Ovis dalli, but this classification has been changed. The three subspecies included Ovis dalli dalli, Ovis dalli stonei, and Ovis dalli kenainesis, which was restricted to the Kenai Pennisula of Alaska. Studies, including comparisons of blood chemistry, suggest that this population is no different than Ovis dalli dalli (Nichols and Bunnell, 1999). Ovis dalli are known as thinhorn mountain sheep or Dall's sheep and include two subspecies, Ovis dalli dalli, Dall's sheep, and, Ovis dalli stonei, Stone's sheep. They are capable of interbreeding and produce offspring with intermediate coat pelage (Nichols and Bunnell, 1999).
Perception Channels: tactile ; chemical
Federal, state, and provincial governmental agencies are responsible for the management of Dall's sheep populations. Human activities such as mineral exploration, road construction, and aircraft harassment disrupt populations of Dall's sheep (Bowyer and Leslie, 1992). In British Columbia range burning is used to slow population declines by improving the quality of forage in winter (Bowyer and Leslie, 1992). Most of their range remains remote and pristine and populations have remained relatively unaffected by humans . However, wild sheep face a precarious future because they are adapted to a limited habitat that is becoming increasingly fragmented (Nichols and Bunnell, 1999).
Populations are threatened by trophy harvest (especially adult rams), hunting in parks and reserves, and, to somel extent, subsistence hunting by native peoples (Bowyer and Leslie, 1992). Only two populations in Alaska exist for which subsistence hunting is allowed. Annual trophy harvest is restricted to mature rams. Most adult males are harvested by nonresidents who are required to pay special fees, hire guides and outfitters, and who are restricted to specific management areas (United States) or outfitter units (Canada) (Bowyer and Leslie, 1992).
In British Columbia, Ovis dalli dalli have been put on the Blue List of species at risk due to their low number in that province, approximately 500 sheep. Ovis dalli stonei have been downlisted from the Blue List to the Yellow List, due to improvement in population numbers (Shackleton, 1999).
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: no special status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern
There are no known negative effects of Dall's sheep.
Native hunters hunt these sheep for subsistence. However, Dall's sheep are not as popular as other species, because they are difficult to hunt and do not provide as much meat as larger arctic species (e.g. caribou) (Shackelton, 1999).
Positive Impacts: food ; body parts are source of valuable material
Dall's sheep are herbivorous, grazing primarily for grasses and sedges. They inhabit various habitats with many potential forage species. They can consume between 50-120 species of vegetation. In summer, food is abundant and a wide variety of plants is consumed. In the winter, diet is much more limited, nevertheless, 10-15 species are consumed year long.
They select grasses, sedges and forbs when available, but also ingest lichens and mosses in smaller quantities (Nichols and Bunnell, 1999). Wheatgrass, fescues, bluegrass, and sedges are important foods, while clover, peavine, lupines, pasture sage, dwarf willow, and cinquefoil are eaten when available (Blood, 1999).
In the winter, diet is influenced by accumulation of snow on the ranges, and consists mostly of dry, frozen grass, and sedge stems that are uncovered where snow is blown off, and more lichens and mosses than in other seasons (Bowyer and Leslie, 1992). Mineral licks of calcium phosphate or calcium magnesium concentrate are also important in the diet, especially in the spring and summer, to compensate for mineral deficiencies (Bowyer and Leslie, 1992)
Dall's sheep occur in western Canada and the United States. They can be found throughout the mountain ranges of northeast, central and southern Alaska, as well as in the Yukon Territory, the northwest corner of British Columbia, and southwest of the Mackenzie River in the Northwest Territories (Valdez, 1982).
There are two subspecies, Ovis dalli dalli and Ovis dalli stonei. Ovis dalli dalli includes populations found in most of Alaska and the Yukon territories, extreme northwest British Columbia, and the Kenai Peninsula of Alaska. Ovis dalli stonei includes populations found in south-central Yukon and north-central British Columbia (Wilson and Ruff, 1999).
Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native )
Dall's sheep have broad habitat preferences in the arctic and sub-arctic regions but are largely alpine animals, living in high mountain ranges. Generally, they inhabit dry mountainous regions and select sub-alpine grass and low shrub communities (Bowyer and Leslie, 1992). They are dependent upon steep, rugged cliffs and outcrops that provide escape terrain from predators. They use nearby open grass and meadows for feeding. In winter they prefer areas with light snowfall and strong winds that remove snow and expose forage (Nichols and Bunnell, 1999)
Most populations occupy distinct summer and winter ranges, although some are sedentary. Migrations are correlated with snow depth, temperature and plant phenology. Most of the year is spent in the winter range in wind-swept areas that expose forage (Bowyer and Leslie, 1992).
Adult males can occupy six seasonal home ranges: pre-rutting, rutting, midwinter, late winter and spring, salt-lick, and summer (Bowyer and Leslie, 1992). Females usually have four ranges: winter, spring, lambing, and summer. Lambs inherit home ranges from older individuals and they return annually to these inherited ranges (Bowyer and Leslie, 1992).
There seems to be no competition with other ungulates in their ranges for food or space. Wolves (Canis lupus) prey on the sheep in regions where their ranges overlap and may decrease the populations severely if no other prey is available. Coyotes (Canis latrans), golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos), lynx (Lynx canadensis), grizzly bears (Ursus arctos), black bears (Ursus americanus), and wolverines (Gulo gulo) are also predators. Deaths from accidental falls and avalanches are also common (Wilson and Ruff, 1999). Deep snow, low temperatures, high population density, disease, low-quality forage, and predation are primary sources of mortality, especially among lambs (Bowyer and Leslie, 1992).
Terrestrial Biomes: mountains
Average lifespan
Status: captivity: 19.6 years.
Ovis dalli are the only species of thinhorn mountain sheep (Nichols and Bunnell, 1999). The horns are conspicious and sexually dimorphic. They can be either amber or almost transparent. Females have slender horns, while male horns are massive, flaring, and curled. Horns grow annually in both sexes, but, after the first 4-5 years, male horn growth increases greatly and can end up constituting 8-10% of their total body weight (Bowyer and Leslie, 1992). Horns grow in spring, summer, and into early fall when the growth slows down. Horn growth stops during the winter. This start and stop growth pattern results in a pattern of rings on the horns. These rings are called annuli, and can be used to determine age. As rams mature their horns form a circle. A full circle can be reached within about 8 years (Heimer, 1994).
Body size is also sexually dimorphic. Males are about 40% heavier than females, and continue to grow 2 years beyond female maturity at 4 years. Males can weigh between 73 to 113 kg, while females weigh between 46 to 50 kg. Body length also varies from 1.3 to 1.8 m in males and 1.32 to 1.62 m in females. Tail length is between 70 to 115 mm in males and between 70 to 90 mm in females (Wilson and Ruff, eds., 1999).
The pelage consists of a fine wool undercoat and stiff, long, and hollow guard hairs. The winter coat can be thicker than 5 cm (Bowyer and Leslie Jr., 1992). The subspecies, Ovis dalli dalli, has a pure white or creamy white pelage and tail, although variation is present. Some individuals have a black tail, others have slight grey patches often in the middle of the back. Ovis dalli stonei has a grey to black pelage. The inside of the ears are white, while the outsides are grey. The belly is white, as are the backs of the legs. They also have a white rump patch, and a black tail (Shackleton, 1999). A moult occurs from March to July, with mature males moulting before the females, young, and older individuals (Bowyer and Leslie Jr., 1992).
The skin of the face and rostrum is thickened, especially in males. The males also have a double layer of bone on their skulls which allows them to absorb heavy impacts suffered during battles between males (Bowyer and Leslie, 1992).
Dental formula is I 0/3, C 0/1, P 3/3, M 3/3, with 30 teeth total (Bowyer and Leslie, 1992).
Range mass: 46 to 113 kg.
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; homoiothermic; bilateral symmetry
Sexual Dimorphism: male larger; ornamentation
Rams can sire lambs at 18 months but do not usually mate successfully until they acheive social dominance and adult size at 5-7 years of age. Females are sexually mature at 30 months and have their first lamb by age 3 or 4. They produce lambs annually after that (Bowyer and Leslie, 1992).
Lambs are born in late May or early June. Ewes seek solitude and protection in the most rugged cliffs to bear their lamb. Ewes give birth and the mother-lamb pair remains in the cliffs until the lambs are strong enough to travel. Lambs begin to feed on vegetation within two weeks of birth, and are weaned after three to five months, usually by October (Heimer, 1994).
Gestation lasts about 175 days, after which a single lamb is born. Twins are rare (Bowyer and Leslie, 1992). The young weigh between 3-4 kg at birth. Females lick and paw the lambs soon after birth (Shackleton, 1999). Lambs can stand for the first time 15-32 minutes after birth, and are able to travel with their mother within 24 hours. The young grow rapidly, and can achieve 27-30 kg by 9 months of age (Bowyer and Leslie, 1992).
The annual rate of increase can be 11-18% in an unhunted population, but mortality of lambs can reach 40-50% by their first winter in populations nearing carrying capacity (Bowyer and Leslie, 1992)
Range number of offspring: 1 to 2.
Average gestation period: 5.7 months.
Range weaning age: 4 to 5 months.
Key Reproductive Features: gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual
Average birth mass: 2819 g.
Average gestation period: 173 days.
Average number of offspring: 1.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male)
Sex: male: 639 days.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female)
Sex: female: 684 days.
Parental Investment: altricial ; post-independence association with parents
Ovis dalli, also known as the Dall sheep or thinhorn sheep, is a species of wild sheep native to northwestern North America. Ovis dalli contains two subspecies: Ovis dalli dalli and Ovis dalli stonei. 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.
The specific name dalli, is derived from William Healey Dall (1845–1927), an American naturalist. The common name, Dall's sheep or Dall sheep is often used to refer to the nominate subspecies, O. d. dalli. The other subspecies, O. d. stonei, is called the Stone sheep.
Originally, the subspecies O. d. dalli and O. d. stonei were distinguished by the color of their pelage (fur). However, the pelage-based designations have been shown to be questionable. Complete colour intergradation occurs in both O. dalli sheep subspecies (i.e., Dall's and Stone's), ranging between white and dark morphs of the species. Intermediately coloured populations, called Fannin sheep were originally (incorrectly) identified as a unique subspecies (O. d. fannini) with distributions inhabiting in the Pelly Mountains and Ogilvie Mountains of the Yukon Territory.[2] Fannin sheep have more recently been confirmed as admixed individuals with predominantly Dall's sheep genetic origins. Previous mitochondrial DNA evidence had shown no molecular division along earlier subspecies boundaries,[3] although evidence from nuclear DNA may provide some support.[4] Current taxonomy using mitochondrial DNA information may be less reliable due to hybridization between O. dalli and O. canadensis recorded in evolutionary history.[3]
Current genetics analyses using a genomewide set of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) has confirmed new subspecies range boundaries for both Dall's and Stone's sheep, updating the previous pelage-based and mitochondrial DNA classifications.[5][6]
O. dalli stand about 3 ft (0.9 m) at the shoulder. They are off-white in color, and their coat consists of a fine wool undercoat and stiff, long, and hollow guard hairs. Their winter coats can be over 2 inches (5 cm) thick. O. dalli can live to be 12 to 16 years of age.[7]
O. dalli are sexually dimorphic, which means rams and ewes look different. Rams are larger than ewes and typically weigh between 160 and 180 pounds (70 and 80 kg) at maturity. Ewes weigh approximately 100 to 110 pounds (45 to 50 kg) on average. During the winter, adult sheep may lose up to 16% of their body mass, and lambs and yearlings as much as 40% depending on winter weather severity. O. dalli begin growing horns at about two months old. Ewes have small, slender horns compared to the massive, curling horns of rams. Young rams resemble ewes until they are about 3 years of age. At this point, their horns begin to grow much faster and larger than ewes' horns.[7]
Adult male O. dalli have thick, curling horns. Adult males are easily distinguished by their horns, which continue to grow steadily from spring to early fall. This results in a start-and-stop growth pattern of rings called annuli. Annuli can be used to help determine age.[8]
The sheep inhabit the subarctic and arctic mountain ranges of Alaska, the Yukon Territory, the Mackenzie Mountains in the western Northwest Territories, and central and northern British Columbia. O. dalli are found in areas with a combination of dry alpine tundra, meadows, and steep or rugged ground. This combination allows for both grazing and escape from predators.[8]
O. dalli can often be observed along the Seward Highway South of Anchorage, Alaska, within Denali National Park and Preserve (which was created in 1917 to preserve the sheep from overhunting), at Sheep Mountain in Kluane National Park and Reserve, in the Tatshenshini Park Tatshenshini-Alsek Provincial Park in northwestern British Columbia, and near Faro, Yukon.
Primary predators of this sheep are wolf packs, coyotes, black bears, and grizzly bears; golden eagles are predators of the young.[9] O. dalli have been known to butt gray wolves off the face of cliffs.
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Rams and ewes are rarely found in the same groups outside of the mating season, or rut, which occurs from mid-November through mid-December. For most of the year, rams feed in the best foraging areas to enhance their reproductive fitness. During spring and summer, ewes are more likely to select areas such as steep, rocky slopes with lower predation risk to raise offspring.[10][11]
Social order and dominance rank is maintained in ram groups through a variety of behaviors including head-on collisions. These dramatic clashes involve each ram getting a running start before colliding, horns-first into one another. Other behaviors associated with establishing social order include leg kicks, bluff charges, and dominance mounting. Most of this behavior establishes order year-round, but clashes between males with similar horn sizes intensify as the rut approaches.[8] Ewes occasionally engage in similar competitive behavior over feeding or bedding sites. Young sheep practice such interactions as part of their play.[10] While rams do clash horns, it is done to establish order, not over fights to possess ewes.[8]
Rams are known to occupy up to six seasonal ranges, including different areas used during autumn, rut (or mating season from mid-November to mid-December), midwinter, late winter/spring, and summer, as well as spending time at salt licks.[9][10]
For most of the year, ewes select areas free of snow and close to forage. After lambs are born in May, close proximity to escape terrain as well as nearby forage are important in habitat selection. Ewes and lambs will travel farther from escape terrain to forage when in larger groups.[10]
In the summer, food has a high variety and is abundant. In the winter, food is limited to what is available in snow-free areas, such as frozen grasses, sedges, lichens, or mosses. O. dalli will travel long distances in the spring to visit mineral licks to supplement their diet.[8]
The Inupiat people have a long history of hunting O. dalli that dates back to at least the 16th century. Sheep are valued for their skin, which is used for warm clothing, and their meat, especially in times when caribou are not available. Historically, the sheep were hunted in summer by foot and in winter by dog sled teams. Today, the rugged terrain in which they live still requires foot travel to reach these animals. The dependence on O. dalli for meat and clothing fluctuates with caribou populations. Caribou herds declined considerably in the 1940s, and O. dalli became an important harvest species. Since the 1990s, caribou populations have been large enough to sustain people. Consequently, subsistence harvest of O. dalli is lower now than in the 1940s, but sheep continue to be an important meat source when caribou migration routes shift during the winter or between years.[12]
Where sport hunting is allowed in Alaska's national preserves, hunters can harvest mature O. dalli rams that have horns that are full-curl or greater, have both tips broken off or are eight years of age or older.[12]
Changes in O. dalli abundance, distribution, composition and health may indicate changes happening with other species and ecosystem processes. The sheep live in alpine, or high mountain, areas. These areas are expected to experience significant changes associated with climate change. Changes may include shifts in locations of plant communities (e.g., an increase in shrubs in alpine areas), diversity of plant species (e.g., loss of important forage species for sheep), and local weather patterns (such as increased incidence of high winter snowfall and icing events), which may affect sheep distribution and abundance.[13]
Some species are expected to benefit from climate change while others will not. Shrubs and woody plants typically dominate plant communities at lower elevations. As elevation increases, the dominant plant community transitions to one dominated by low-growing grasses, flowers, and lichens. Warming climate trends, longer growing seasons, and changes in precipitation have the potential to allow woody plant species to find suitable habitat at higher elevations.[13]
As a result, low-growing alpine species may be out-competed or shaded by the encroaching woody plants. Changes in the seasonal availability and diversity of alpine plants may affect O. dalli populations by altering sheep diets and consequently where they can live in mountain parks, as well as ewe pregnancy rates and lamb growth and survival.[13]
This article incorporates public domain material from Dall Sheep. National Park Service. Retrieved 9 October 2021. This article incorporates public domain material from The Social Structure of Dall Sheep. National Park Service. Retrieved 9 October 2021. This article incorporates public domain material from Hunting and Subsistence Use of Dall Sheep. National Park Service. Retrieved 9 October 2021. This article incorporates public domain material from Dall Sheep and Climate Change. National Park Service. Retrieved 9 October 2021. Ovis dalli, also known as the Dall sheep or thinhorn sheep, is a species of wild sheep native to northwestern North America. Ovis dalli contains two subspecies: Ovis dalli dalli and Ovis dalli stonei. 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.
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