# Snow sheep (*Ovis nivicola*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/snow-sheep  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The snow sheep (Ovis nivicola) is a species in the family Bovidae, order Artiodactyla. Recorded adults weigh 69.1 kg to 119 kg and live up to 20.6 years. Its IUCN Red List status is Least Concern.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 69.1 kg – 119 kg |
| Length | Not recorded |
| Lifespan | 20.6 years |
| Diet | Herbivore |
| Longest recorded lifespan | 24 years |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | Not recorded |
| Gestation | 175 days – 180 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | 1 |
| Age at maturity | 23.6 months – 2.05 years |
| Litters or clutches a year | 1 |
| Active | Day and night (cathemeral) |
| Lifestyle | Terrestrial |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Mammalia
- order: Artiodactyla
- family: Bovidae
- genus: Ovis
- species: *Ovis nivicola* Eschscholtz, 1829

## Common questions

### How big is the snow sheep?

An adult snow sheep weighs 69.1 kg – 119 kg, according to values recorded on Wikidata.

### Is the snow sheep endangered?

The snow sheep is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, meaning it is not currently at risk of extinction.

### How long does the snow sheep live?

The snow sheep has a recorded lifespan of 20.6 years.

### How long is the snow sheep pregnant?

The recorded gestation period is 175 days – 180 days.

### What kind of animal is the snow sheep?

The snow sheep (Ovis nivicola) belongs to the family Bovidae in the order Artiodactyla.

## Sources

- [An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1), CC0 1.0, E096-269. Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1
- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [EltonTraits 1.0: species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1), CC0 1.0, 1.0. Wilman, H., Belmaker, J., Simpson, J., de la Rosa, C., Rivadeneira, M.M. & Jetz, W. (2014) EltonTraits 1.0: Species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals. Ecology 95: 2027. https://doi.org/10.1890/13-1917.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Snow sheep (Ovis nivicola). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/snow-sheep