"Stone Sheep" from northern BC

[superdiver]

I got to take a nice slow road trip of the great northern loop in BC Cananda. Along the way I had ample opportunities to stop and take pictures. I will probably post a bunch of different ones in different topic areas. this is the first.

Where I grew up in MT they were called "Big Horn Sheep" I believe, at least thats what we called them, but in BC they call them Stone Sheep.

http://superdiver.smugmug.com/photos/579763197_hgybv-L.jpg

http://superdiver.smugmug.com/photos/579766033_qVYBA-L.jpg

http://superdiver.smugmug.com/photos/579795704_JwBCj-L.jpg

http://superdiver.smugmug.com/photos/579801842_LnVbM-L.jpg

http://superdiver.smugmug.com/photos/579814458_Mxqud-L.jpg


thanks for looking, I will post more as the days go on. It was an AWESOME trip. If you evr get the chace GO !!!

[DeepWoods]

Beautiful Images!!! good job on exposure! I really like #1 and #3 These guys are like walking "grey cards"..;)



There is a difference in the Big Horn and the Stone Sheep.

Bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) is one of three species of mountain sheep in North America and Siberia; the other two species being (Ovis dalli), that includes Dall Sheep and Stone's Sheep, and the Siberian Snow sheep (Ovis nivicola).

[Ralph Merlino]

You did a good job, I like them.

[M50D]

Nice pictures, I like the lighting and colors in #3. In the last photo it looks like they may be licking up salt (de-icer) next to a road. Whether that is the actual case or not I don't know, but they do that around here in NW Montana, and it get quite a few of them killed by vehicles too.

[ajosteve]

Excellent shots...the little ones are so cute. We have them here, and I see them a lot in the fall months.

[superdiver]

thanks all !

so Stone Sheep and Big Horn are not the same? What are the differences that are visable?

[dlpasco]

I like them all but the last one is my favorite.

http://www.bighorninstitute.org/wildsheep.htm

[Tom Reichner]

thanks all !

so Stone Sheep and Big Horn are not the same? What are the differences that are visable?

Hi, David!

Yes, Stone Sheep are quite different than Bighorn Sheep. For one thing, their horns are significantly thinner than those of the Bighorn. Here's what one source has to say: "Bighorn sheep are arguably one of the most recognizable hoofed animals in the western United States, if not in all of North America. Consisting of several races, or varieties, bighorn sheep are distinguished from their northern cousins (thinhorned sheep) by their heavier, blockier bodies, and more massive horns, which often have broken or "broomed" tips."

Stone Sheep are more similar to Dall Sheep (also spelled Dahl) than they are to the Bighorns. They will also interbreed with Dalls where their territories overlap near the NWT border. This crossbreeding results in Stone Sheep with paler faces and heads than the regular Stone Sheep. These crossbreeds are called "Fannin" sheep.

There's alot more info on this . . . I'll find some links for you and post what I find.

[jgrussell]

Nicely done. The little one is too cute.

[Tom Reichner]

I'll find some links for you and post what I find.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bighorn_Sheep

http://www.ferris.edu/card/animals/Herbivores/Stone-Sheep.pdf

http://www.bighornsheep.org/SheepBiology.htm

[superdiver]

Hi, David!

Yes, Stone Sheep are quite different than Bighorn Sheep. For one thing, their horns are significantly thinner than those of the Bighorn. Here's what one source has to say: "Bighorn sheep are arguably one of the most recognizable hoofed animals in the western United States, if not in all of North America. Consisting of several races, or varieties, bighorn sheep are distinguished from their northern cousins (thinhorned sheep) by their heavier, blockier bodies, and more massive horns, which often have broken or "broomed" tips."

Stone Sheep are more similar to Dall Sheep (also spelled Dahl) than they are to the Bighorns. They will also interbreed with Dalls where their territories overlap near the NWT border. This crossbreeding results in Stone Sheep with paler faces and heads than the regular Stone Sheep. These crossbreeds are called "Fannin" sheep.

There's alot more info on this . . . I'll find some links for you and post what I find.



so these would be Fannin Sheep because of the lighter faces possibly?

[sparker1]

Nice shots. These are frequently seen along the Alaska Highway because they come down to lick the salt along the road.

[Tom Reichner]

so these would be Fannin Sheep because of the lighter faces possibly?

Not likely. The Fannin sheep have very light faces - white faces, in fact. White just like the Dahl sheep. Fannins are found where the Stone and Dahl ranges overlap, such as along the northern Alaska/Yukon border. I believe you were too far south to be in Fannin territory.