Other names of the Dall's Sheep according to where they live are: Sahzhoa, Doge, and Divii. There are two subspecies of thin horn sheep and these are the Dall's sheep (Ovis dalli dalli) and Stone's sheep (Ovis dalli stonei). People who climb to observe mountain sheep have seen grey colored sheep in the Northwest Territory. These grey sheep may be an intergraded species between Dall's and Stone's Sheep.
Dall's sheep are excellent examples of the fact that animals adjust and live well even in the harshest environments. They live both below the Arctic and in the Arctic Regions. Because they inhabit the distant, steep slopes the Dall's sheep are healthy and don't get diseases from domestic livestock. Weather determines the amount of snow fall in their habitat and being short legged, Dall's Sheep they prefer areas that only have about 70 inches of snow.
Dall sheep inhabit areas of Tanana, Yukon, in Alaska, in Kenai, Chugach, Talkeetna and Brooks Range, the Western Canadian Provinces and the Northwest Territories and thrived in these areas for hundreds of years. When it is time and the young sheep choose a herd to join they never go away from this herd.
The sheep's diet consists of grasses, sedges, lichens, moss and willow. Dall's Sheep will venture across the vast terrain especially in the springtime to acquire the vitamins and minerals provided by a salt lick. Often dirt is mixed with the salt but doesn't prevent the sheep from eating the salt and dirt mix. When full grown as an adult the rams weigh about 225 pounds and the ewes about 130 pounds. Both the male and female Dall's Sheep stand about 35 inches tall at their shoulder.
They usually are from a snow white to yellow white in color. Both sexes have curled horns. The male's horns take about eight years until they are fully formed and curled.
The hair of a Dall's Sheep is hollow so that the hair insulates its body from the cold. More often than not the sheep will stay on the south side of a mountain slope because this side of the slopes gets more sun.
The new born lambs that weigh from five to six pounds come into this world in late May or early June. The ewes choose the most rugged and safe areas to bear their young. About seven days after their birth the young Dall's sheep is eating vegetation and leaves the birthing area. Around the month of October the ewes wean the new borns. Their horns are made out of keratin which is the same substance as a human's fingernails.
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