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Thread: Bighorn Sheep - Dumb Question

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2020
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    36

    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 ?

    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]


    Female Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep (O. c. canadensis) in Yellowstone National Park

    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:


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  3. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
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    kamloops
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    Re: Bighorn Sheep - Dumb Question

    yup we have sheep in kamloops.

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Posts
    538

    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
    WSSBC Life Member

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
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    1,769

    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.

  6. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2020
    Posts
    36

    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

  7. #6
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    Kamloops
    Posts
    239

    Re: Bighorn Sheep - Dumb Question

    Californias around Kamloops lake , Spences bridge has Rockies, used to be Rockies at Chase

  8. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    N. Okanagan
    Posts
    14,182

    Re: Bighorn Sheep - Dumb Question

    Maybe check the Wild Sheep Society of BC page for biology info or reference links ?
    Never say whoa in the middle of a mud hole

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