Stone's sheep
The Stone sheep (Ovis dalli stonei) is the more southern subspecies of Thinhorn sheep, Ovis dalli.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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HerbivoreA herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example, foliage, for the main component of its die...
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GraminivoreIn zoology, a graminivore (not to be confused with a granivore) is an herbivorous animal that feeds primarily on grass. Graminivory is a form of g...
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FolivoreIn zoology, a folivore is a herbivore that specializes in eating leaves. Mature leaves contain a high proportion of hard-to-digest cellulose, less ...
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ViviparousAmong animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
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PrecocialPrecocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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CursorialA cursorial organism is one that is adapted specifically to run. An animal can be considered cursorial if it has the ability to run fast (e.g. chee...
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GrazingGrazing is a method of feeding in which a herbivore feeds on plants such as grasses, or other multicellular organisms such as algae. In agriculture...
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CongregatoryCongregatory animals tend to gather in large numbers in specific areas as breeding colonies, for feeding, or for resting.
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PolygynyPolygyny is a mating system in which one male lives and mates with multiple females but each female only mates with a single male.
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Dominance hierarchyA dominance hierarchy (formerly and colloquially called a pecking order) is a type of social hierarchy that arises when members of animal social gr...
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HerdingA herd is a social grouping of certain animals of the same species, either wild or domestic. The form of collective animal behavior associated with...
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Altitudinal MigrantAltitudinal migration is a short-distance animal migration from lower altitudes to higher altitudes and back. Altitudinal migrants change their ele...
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starts withThe coloration of Stone sheep varies from slate grey-brown with a white rump patch, dark tail, and white on the inside of the hind legs, to an almost completely white/grey-white coat with a dark or black dorsal surface on the tail. Their horns are curved in form and vary in color from yellowish-brown to dark brown.
Stone sheep are primarily found in Northern British Columbia and can often be seen licking minerals along the side of the Alaska Highway in areas such as Summit Lake, Stone Mountain Provincial Park, and Muncho Lake Provincial Park. These sheep live in mountainous regions with dry, hostile, and rugged areas. In spring, they occupy grassy mountainsides, moving in summer up to high alpine pastures. In winter, they migrate to areas at lower elevations that have less snow.
Little is known about the behavior of Stone sheep. In general Thinhorn sheep are diurnal and gregarious. Females live in a flock with other ewes, immature rams, lambs, and yearlings. Rarely, there are aggressive interactions between females, due to conflict over bedding or feeding sites. Older males live in groups of bachelors that do not interact with females except during the mating season. Males will establish a hierarchy where rank depends on horn size. The ranking is for access to females as well as for social order. Males occupy as many as six different home ranges during the year and females up to four, though some populations of Thinhorn sheep are sedentary. When seasons change, the sheep move to areas that are more suitable. Females move to particular areas to lamb, generally in secluded areas of high elevation. Being able to navigate upland meadows as well as near-vertical cliffs provides Thinhorn sheep with an advantage when seeking safe areas for birthing and to escape from predators.
Stone sheep are herbivores (graminivores, folivores). They eat 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.
Generally Thinhorn sheep are polygynous and dominant males breed with females most often. They usually breed from late November to early December and births take place from mid-May to early June. After a gestation of about 175 days, one lamb is born. Lambs are precocial and are able to travel with their mother only 24 hours after being born, and within days the two rejoin their group. Lambs are fully weaned after 3 to 5 months. Young males become reproductively mature at 18 months of age but do not generally mate successfully until 5-7 years of age when they achieve adult size and social dominance. Females are ready to breed at 30 months, giving birth for the first time by the age of 3 or 4.
Thinhorn sheep are under threat of the trophy harvest (adult rams especially), hunting in reserves and parks, and hunting by native peoples. Other threats are high population density, low-quality forage, and disease. Avalanches and accidental falls are the cause of some deaths. Human activities, such as mineral exploration and road building within the Thinhorn sheep’s range, are further threats.
According to the IUCN Red List, the total population size of the Stone sheep in Canada is 12,600-16,400 individuals. Presently, this subspecies is not included in the IUCN Red List and its conservation status has not been evaluated.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...