Overview
They are much lighter than other snow sheep with many as white as the North American Dall. Most, however, have coloration similar to Fannin sheep in the Yukon. As a thin horn sheep, the subspecies horns are rarely broomed. Snow sheep have compact, muscular bodies and relatively short legs (compared with other Asian sheep) that are adapted to climbing precipitous terrain. The coat is coarse and brittle, with each hair containing a sealed air pocket that serves as insulation. Hair texture is said to be quite different from that of North American sheep, being thick and woollike and becoming very long and shaggy in winter. The glands below the eyes are dark vertical skinfolds that protrude beyond the hair. Snow sheep have distinct rump patches, but do not have saddle patches, bibs or neck ruffs. The tail is broad and dark. The horns are homonymous, with the right horn growing in a right-handed spiral and left horn in a left-handed spiral, forming a tight curl of relatively small diameter. The horns are similar to those of the Dall and Stone sheep of North America, being brown or dark amber in color, fairly heavy and quite smooth, and with the frontal-orbital edge forming a prominent keel.
Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammal
- Order
- Artiodactyla
- Family
- Bovidae
- Genus
- Ovis
- Species
- Snow sheep, nivicola
Habitat
Steep, rugged terrain with nearby grassy pastures, in alpine and arctic regions. They inhabit the upper forested zone to the limits of vegetation, a maximum altitude of 7,000 feet (2,000 meters). They prefer to winter on Southern slopes. The living conditions are severe in the winter. Temperatures can fall down to −76 °F (−60 °C) with harsh winds and prevalent snowfalls. The combined range of all susbspecies of Snow sheep covers an area almost twice that of the argali's range.
Diet
Their diet consists primarily of grasses, but also of lichens, mosses, and willow sprouts.
Behavior
We know relatively little about snow sheep, but their habits are thought to be similar to those of Dall and Stone sheep. Like other pachyceriforms, snow sheep are classed as K-selected species, and have relatively low reproductive rates (one lamb after 170-180 days gestation) and long life spans (12-18 years). Females are believed to be sexually mature at 18 months, with the first lamb born at age two. Unlike other Asian sheep, they rarely have twins. Extremely agile and nimble, and able to move quickly over steep, uneven terrain. Within bachelor herds, a dominance hierarchy is formed based primarily on horn size. These hierarchies remain relatively stable, even in the breeding season, with larger males getting the majority of the mating rights. However, if two males have approximately equal sized horns, the dominant/subordinate relationship is decided in combat. Facing each other from a distance, they run towards each other with heads lowered, rearing up and crashing their horns together in an attempt to throw their rival off balance.
Hunting
Since 2014 the hunt on Chukotka Snow sheep has been reopened to hunting. In 2014 for the first time several SCI members successfully hunted snow sheep in the Chukotka Autonomous Region of Russia. At present, the only hunting areas believed to have legal permits are the areas very near the borders with Magadan and possibly Koryak regions.
Conservation Status
This is the rarest subspecies of Snow sheep.