A snowy white female baby Dall’s sheep was welcomed into the world last Thursday, April 17 and is now prancing about in her home at Como Zoo. The yet-to-be named baby can be seen scampering around the exhibit she shares with her mother “Sunny”.

scampering around the exhibit she shares with her mother “Sunny”.

Dall’s sheep are most notable for the males’ (known as rams) massive curled horns. Females (known as ewes) also carry horns, but theirs are shorter and more slender, and only slightly curved. Until rams reach the age of 3 years, they tend to resemble the ewes quite a bit. After that, continued horn growth makes the males easily recognizable. Horns grow steadily during spring, summer, and early fall. In late fall or winter, horn growth slows and eventually ceases. This start-and-stop growth results in a pattern of rings called annuli which are spaced along the length of the horn, and can help determine age. The typical gestation period for a Dall’s sheep is 175 days and yields one baby.