Bighorn Sheep - Dumb Question
Stupid Question Regarding Bighorn Sheep.
Does BC have both Rocky Mountain Bighorn AND Sierra Nevada (California) Bighorn Sheep?
Common knowledge would suggest that BC has both (although I have seen neither in the wild), however Wikipedia (generally a good source imho) seems to suggest that scientists have a new view on genetics and that BC has only Rocky Mountain sheep and no Sierra Nevada Sheep (fka California) Big Horn.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bighorn_sheep
In the event that we have both species in our beautiful province, does anyone know which species you would find across the major regions (3, 4, 5, [7-19] and 8)?
Sorry for asking a yes/no question, but the internet seems to be full of contradictory information on the subject.
Former[edit]
In 1940, Ian McTaggart-Cowan split the species into seven subspecies, with the first three being mountain bighorns and the last four being desert bighorns:[10]
- Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, O. c. canadensis, found from British Columbia to Arizona.
- Badlands bighorn sheep or Audubon's bighorn sheep, O. c. auduboni, occurred in North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, and Nebraska. This subspecies has been extinct since 1925.
- California bighorn sheep, O. c. californiana, found from British Columbia south to California and east to North Dakota. The definition of this subspecies has been updated (see below).
- Nelson's bighorn sheep, O. c. nelsoni, the most common desert bighorn sheep, ranges from California through Arizona.
- Mexican bighorn sheep, O. c. mexicana, ranges from Arizona and New Mexico south to Sonora and Chihuahua.
- Peninsular bighorn sheep O. c. cremnobates, occur in the Peninsular Ranges of California and Baja California
- Weems' bighorn sheep, O. c. weemsi, found in southern Baja California.
Current[edit]
Starting in 1993, Ramey and colleagues,[11][14] using DNA testing, have shown this division into seven subspecies is largely illusory. Most scientists currently recognize three subspecies of bighorn.[15][16] This taxonomy is supported by the most extensive genetics (microsatellite and mitochondrial DNA) study to date (2016) which found high divergence between Rocky Mountain and Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep, and that these two subspecies both diverged from desert bighorn prior to or during the Illinoian glaciation (about 315–94 thousand years ago).[17] Thus, the three subspecies of O. canadensis are:
Re: Bighorn Sheep - Dumb Question
yup we have sheep in kamloops.
Re: Bighorn Sheep - Dumb Question
We have both Rockies and calis. Calis are often found in the sage brush country like kamloops lake. Rockies are in places like 4-25
Re: Bighorn Sheep - Dumb Question
According to the records books we only have Rocky Mtn Bighorns as Cali's are included as Bighorns. Big Horns are mostly in the Kootenays, part of 3-17 and 7-19. All the rest of the southern sheep are pretty much Cali's. I might have missed an area or two, but generally most of the southern hunts are LEH. A few are still GOS, but not many.
Re: Bighorn Sheep - Dumb Question
After many hours on google a great article below answers the question quite eloquently and provides a great map.
http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wld/documents/bighorn.pdf
Re: Bighorn Sheep - Dumb Question
Californias around Kamloops lake , Spences bridge has Rockies, used to be Rockies at Chase
Re: Bighorn Sheep - Dumb Question
Maybe check the Wild Sheep Society of BC page for biology info or reference links ?