BIGHORN SHEEP Ovis Canadensis Original1 Prepared by R.A
BIGHORN SHEEP Ovis canadensis Original1 prepared by R.A. Demarchi Species Information Distribution Global Taxonomy The genus Ovis is present in west-central Asia, Until recently, three species of Bighorn Sheep were Siberia, and North America (and widely introduced recognized in North America: California Bighorn in Europe). Approximately 38 000 Rocky Mountain Sheep (Ovis canadensis californiana), Rocky Bighorn Sheep (Wishart 1999) are distributed in Mountain Bighorn Sheep (O. canadensis canadensis), scattered patches along the Rocky Mountains of and Desert Bighorn Sheep (O. canadensis nelsoni). As North America from west of Grand Cache, Alberta, a result of morphometric measurements, and to northern New Mexico. They are more abundant protein and mtDNA analysis, Ramey (1995, 1999) and continuously distributed in the rainshadow of recommended that only Desert Bighorn Sheep and the eastern slopes of the Continental Divide the Sierra Nevada population of California Bighorn throughout their range. Sheep be recognized as separate subspecies. California Bighorn Sheep were extirpated from most Currently, California and Rocky Mountain Bighorn of the United States by epizootic disease contracted sheep are managed as separate ecotypes in British from domestic sheep in the 1800s with a small Columbia. number living in California until 1954 (Buechner Description 1960). Since 1954, Bighorn Sheep have been reintroduced from British Columbia to California, California Bighorn Sheep are slightly smaller than Idaho, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, Utah, and mature Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep Washington, resulting in their re-establishment in (McTaggart-Cowan and Guiguet 1965). Like their much of their historic range. By 1998, California Rocky Mountain counterpart, California Bighorn Bighorn Sheep were estimated to number 10 000 Sheep have a dark to medium rich brown head, neck, (Toweill 1999).
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