Home › Mammalia › Bovidae › Dall Sheep (Ovis dalli)
SPECIES PROFILE
Dall Sheep (Ovis dalli)
Ovis
IUCN STATUS
Least Concern
CONSERVATION STATUS
Least Concern
CLASS
Mammalia
GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE
Mountain ranges of Alaska and Yukon including the Alaska, Wrangell, and Chugach ranges; one of the few large mammals restricted to Alaska and northwestern Canada
DIET
Herbivore
HABITAT
Steep, rocky subalpine and alpine terrain with adjacent open meadows; uses cliffs as escape from predators
🔬 Classification
PHYLUM
Chordata
CLASS
Mammalia
ORDER
Artiodactyla
FAMILY
Bovidae
GENUS
Ovis
📋 Description
SIZE
Rams 73–113 kg; ewes 46–57 kg; rams develop full-curl horns by 8 years
COLORATION
Pure white coat (only all-white wild sheep in North America); stocky build; amber to yellow full-curl horns in males; both sexes have horns
ADAPTATIONS
Highly agile on steep terrain; split hooves with hard edges and soft inner pads; congregates on mineral licks for sodium
🌿 Ecology
HABITAT
Steep, rocky subalpine and alpine terrain with adjacent open meadows; uses cliffs as escape from predators
DIET
Herbivore
GEOGRAPHIC RANGE
Mountain ranges of Alaska and Yukon including the Alaska, Wrangell, and Chugach ranges; one of the few large mammals restricted to Alaska and northwestern Canada
REPRODUCTION
Rut in November and December; single lamb born in May on steep escape terrain; lamb can follow mother on cliffs within hours of birth
DIET DETAILS
Grasses, sedges, forbs, and willows in summer; digs through snow for dried grasses and lichen in winter
⚠️ Threats & Conservation
PRIMARY THREATS
Wolf and bear predation; hunting outside national parks; climate change reducing alpine meadow extent; disease from domestic sheep contact
💡 Interesting Facts
1
Dall Sheep rams engage in spectacular head-clashing contests during the rut, charging at each other at up to 32 km/h; the collision can be heard from over a kilometre away.
2
Dall Sheep are the only truly white wild sheep in North America; their pure white colouration is a genetic trait rather than a seasonal colour change, and provides camouflage in snowy terrain year-round.
🔭 Sighting Guide
📍 BEST PLACES TO SIGHT
Polychrome Pass area in Denali National Park, AK, has Dall Sheep rams on rocky ridgelines visible from the park bus
Igloo Canyon in Denali National Park, AK, has Dall Sheep ewes and lambs in spring and summer
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park near McCarthy, AK, has Dall Sheep in remote mountain terrain
🗓️ BEST TIME TO SIGHT
June to September along Denali National Park's park road near Polychrome Pass and Igloo Canyon; rams visible on steep ridgelines.
🎯 SIGHTING TIPS
Year-round on steep rocky terrain; Denali National Park road corridor provides accessible viewing from late May to September.
