Northern Chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra)

OTHER NAMES: Chamois, Alpine Chamois

Latin Etymology: Rupicapra ("cliff goat") rupicapra ("cliff goat")

Northern Chamois (subspecies R. r. rupicapra) in the Dolomites, Italy - July 2004

Featured Subspecies: Rupicapra rupicapra rupicapra
Weight: 25-45kg  /  Length:107-137cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The Chamois is a Goat-Antelope species of the mountains of Europe and parts of Europe bordering Asia - they are a herd species found in the higher reaches of mountains.  They summer in Alpine Meadows before descending into the treeline in Winter to feed.  They are found in mountainous regions throughout Southern Europe though by far the biggest block of this range is the Alps and surrounding ranges like the Dolomites.

Related Species:
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Bovidae
Genus: Capra
SUBSPECIES: R. r. rupicapra, R.r. tatrica, R.r. balcanica, R. r. carpatica, R. r. cartusiana, R. r. asiatica, R. r. caucasica

 - Sighting Locations -

ITALY - Italian - Camoscio Alpino ("Alpine Chamois")

A fairly common resident of the high mountains.

 - DOLOMITES 2004 TRIP: Seen at several points in the Dolomites

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Thinhorn Sheep (Ovis dalli)

OTHER NAMES: Dall Sheep
Latin Etymology: Ovis ("sheep") dalli (for William Healey Dall)

Heard of Dall Sheep (Ovis dalli) at Turnagain Arm, Alaska, USA - August 2024

Featured Subspecies: Ovis dalli dalli
Weight: 70-80kg  /  Length: 140cm 
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

One of two Sheep species found in North America, the Thinhorn Sheep is a dweller of the Rockies stretcking from Canada into Alaska. They favour alpine tundra and meadows, particularly on rocky slopes where their manouverability enables them to evade predators more easily. A social animal, generally however females and males will separate outside the breeding season.

Related Species:
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Bovidae
Genus: Ovis
SUBSPECIES: O. d. dalli, O. d. stonei

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES - Found in Alaska
 - CHICAGO TO ALASKA ROADTRIP 2024: Seen in Turnagain Arm near Anchorage, Alaska

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

.

American Bison (Bison bison)

OTHER NAMES: Bison, Buffalo
Latin Etymology: Bison ("bison") bison ("bison")

Herd of American Bison (Bison bison) in British Columbia, Canada - August 2024

Featured Subspecies: Wood Bison - Bison bison athabascae
Weight: 318-1179kg  /  Length: 2.8-3.5m
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Near Threatened

A species which shapes both North American Nature and History, before European Colonialism the Bison was a key species of the prairie, with a population of up to 60 million individuals shaping both the habitat, the species around them and being a core food of the Indiginous peoples who hunted them. However, they were hunted on an industrial scale by the nascent United States - first for food, and later as an indirect means of attacking Indiginous Tribes by cutting off their traditional food sources. Only some last minute conservation efforts saved the species and it remains greatly diminished despite some recovery.

Related Species:
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Bovidae
Genus: Bison
SUBSPECIES: B. b. athabascae, B. b. bison

 - Sighting Locations -

CANADA -Scattered herds in Western Canada
  - CHICAGO TO ALASKA ROADTRIP 2024: - Seen in British Columbia

UNITED STATES - Scattered populations in the Central US and Alaska
 - CHICAGO TO ALASKA ROADTRIP 2024: Plains Bison seen in North Dakota

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

.