Wild Caprines in British Zoos.

International Zoo News 57 / 6 (No 383)

Introduction:

The caprines represent a very diverse range of species. They are popular zoo species which are relatively easy to cater for in captivity once their basic husbandry has been established. Although once popular and widespread in U. K. collections, they have enjoyed an even greater popularity in many other European zoos, a situation which continues today. During the late 1980s an 1990s there was a drop in their popularity in Britain and a reduction in keeping wild caprine species. In recent times, however, there seems to have been a turn-around and a renewed interest in keeping them, which has resulted in three species - Rocky Mountain goat, Japanese serow and Mishmi takin - producing their first U. K. breeding during 2006 alone. The realisation that many caprine species are becoming endangered and would benefit from captive-breeding programmes has accelerated that interest. Britain in particular seems to be moving towards a wider variety of species than has been the case historically. There are still a few collections holding Barbary sheep: It is unlikely that this species will become as commonly seen or as widespread in British collections as it once was, but we could see a move towards keeping subspecific groups instead, in accordance with recent EAZA recommendarions.

irven-biblio

Cranial morphometric and evolutionary relationships in the northern range of Ovis canadensis.

J. of Mammalogy, 81(1):145-161 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1644/1545-1542(2000)081<0145:CMAERI>2.0.CO;2

Abstract:

Univariate and multivariate statistical methods were used to examine geographic variation in skull and horn characters of 694 bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) specimens from the Great Basin north to British Columbia and Alberta to test previous taxonomic hypotheses. Substantially more morphometric variation in skull and horn size and shape was found west of the Rocky Mountains than within the Rocky Mountains. Our results did not support the recognition of Audubon's bighorn sheep (O. c. auduboni) as a subspecies separate from Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep (O. c. canadensis). California bighorn sheep (O. c. californiana) from Washington and British Columbia were not distinguishable from Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep but differed notably from populations in the Sierra Nevada considered part of that subspecies. Extirpated native populations from northeastern California, Oregon, and southwestern Idaho, also considered to be O. c. californiana, shared with Nelson bighorn sheep (O. c. nelsoni) from the Great Basin desert a horn-related character that distinguished them from Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep. Bighorn sheep from the Sierra Nevada were found to be distinguishable from those of the adjacent Great Basin region. Our morphometric results were concordant in geographic patterns with mtDNA data. We synonymize O. c. auduboni with O. c. canadensis. We also assign extant and extinct native populations of O. c. californiana from British Columbia and Washington to O. c. canadensis. Finally, we assign the extinct native populations of O. c. californiana from Oregon, southwestern Idaho, northern Nevada, and northeastern California to the Great Basin Desert form of O. c. nelsoni, recognizing that some transition to Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep probably occurred along that northern boundary. With these taxonomic revisions, the range of O. c. californiana includes only the central and southern Sierra Nevada.

wehausen-biblio

EAZA Regional Collection Plan Caprinae Taxon Advisory Group.

November 2020. First edition.
EAZA Executive Office: Amsterdam.

Inhalt:

Der Plan enthält eine Einleitung, eine Zusammenfassung der Beschlüsse des durchgeführten Workshops und Informationen sowie Empfehlungen zu den einzelnen Wildformen der Caprinae.

damois-biblio

Evolution and taxonomy of the wild species of the genus Ovis (Mammalia, Artiodactyla, Bovidae)

Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 54(2):315-26 · November 2009 

Abstract:

New insights for the systematic and evolution of the wild sheep are provided by molecular phylogenies inferred from Maximum parsimony, Bayesian, Maximum likelihood, and Neighbor-Joining methods. The phylogeny of the wild sheep was based on cytochrome b sequences of 290 samples representative of most of the sub-species described in the genus Ovis. The result was confirmed by a combined tree based on cytochrome b and nuclear sequences for 79 Ovis samples representative of the robust clades established with mitochondrial data. Urial and mouflon, which are either considered as a single or two separate species, form two monophyletic groups (O. orientalis and O. vignei). Their hybrids appear in one or the other group, independently from their geographic origin. The European mouflon O. musimon is clearly in the O. orientalis clade. The others species, O. dalli, O. canadensis, O. nivicola, and O. ammon are monophyletic. The results support an Asiatic origin of the genus Ovis, followed by a migration to North America through North-Eastern Asia and the Bering Strait and a diversification of the genus in Eurasia less than 3 million years ago. Our results show that the evolution of the genus Ovis is a striking example of successive speciation events occurring along the migration routes propagating from the ancestral area.

rezaei-biblio

Bovids of the World Antelopes, Gazelles, Cattle, Goats, Sheep, and Relatives.

Foreword by Brent Huffman & Colin Groves.

664 Seiten, 337 farbige Abbildungen, 313 Verbreitungskarten.
Princeton Press. ISBN-13: 9781400880652

Inhalt:

Bovids are a diverse group of ruminant mammals that have hooves and unbranched hollow horns. Bovids of the World is the first comprehensive field guide to cover all 279 bovid species, including antelopes, gazelles, cattle, buffaloes, sheep, and goats. From the hartebeest of Africa and the takin of Asia to the muskox of North America, bovids are among the world's most spectacular animals and this stunningly illustrated and easy-to-use field guide is an ideal way to learn more about them.

The guide covers all species and subspecies of bovids described to date. It features more than 300 superb full-color plates depicting every kind of bovid, as well as detailed facing-page species accounts that describe key identification features, horn morphology, distribution, subspeciation, habitat, and conservation status in the wild. This book also shows where to observe each species and includes helpful distribution maps.

Suitable for anyone with an interest in natural history, Bovids of the World is a remarkable and attractive reference, showcasing the range and beauty of these important mammals.

• The first comprehensive field guide to all 279 bovid species
• 337 full-color plates, with more than 1,500 photographs
• Detailed species accounts describe key identification features, distribution, subspeciation, habitat, behavior, reproduction, and conservation status
• Fully updated and revised taxonomy, with common and scientific names
• Easy-to-read distribution maps

castello-biblio

Böcke, Takine und Moschusochsen.

366 Seiten, zahlreiche Abbildungen.
Filander Verlag, Erlangen. ISBN 978-3-930831-86-9.

Inhalt:

Die vorliegende Monographie stellt eine umfangreiche Zusammenstellung zum Thema der Böcke, Takine und Moschusochsen dar. Neben Beiträgen zur Entwicklungsgeschichte und Systematik sind alle Arten und Unterarten in ihrer Verbreitung, ihren Naturbeständen, ihrer Morphologie und Anatomie, ihrer Ethologie und auch der Reproduktionsbiologie umfassend beschrieben. Zudem sind sämtliche Formen erstmals durch Abbildungen miteinander vergleichbar.

Neben den einzelnen Monographien gibt der Autor einen Überblick zur Haltung in Tiergärten, der natürlichen und künstlichen Aufzucht in Menschenobhut, stellt ausgewählte Erkrankungen vor und befasst sich mit der Domestikationsgeschichte der Wildziegen und Wildschafe.

matschei-biblio

Wild Sheep and Goats and their Relatives - Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan for Caprinae.

IUCN, Gland. ISBN 2-8317-0353-0. 390 Seiten, zahlreiche Verbreitungskarten.

Inhalt:

Die Veröffentlichung fasst das ganze bekannte Wissen über den Gefährdungs- und Schutzstatus  aller Schaf- und Ziegenverwandetn weltweit zusammen. Sie enthält Berichte über 70 länder verfasst von 111 Autoren.

Volltext (PDF)

Zur Haltung von Dallschafen (Ovis dalli) im Zoologischen Garten Leipzig.

Keeping Dall's Sheep (Ovis dalli) at Leipzig Zoo.

Der Zoologische Garten 79 (1): 1–19.

Abstract:

Keeping and breeding Dall's Sheep (Ovis dalli) in Leipzig Zoo between 1982 and 2009 are reflected and analysed. Seven animals were brought into the collection. 60 specimens were kept so far. The species hast turned out to be difficult in Middle-Europe‘s climate but nevertheless is manageable and reproductive. The rearing rate (animals have reached at least the age of 1 year) is 40%. Remarkable veterinarian treatments for keeping the stock healthy and especially for ensuring the breeding are described. For sure, deep engagement of keepers, veterinarians and curators is needed to keep this species successfully. Hopefully a lot of colleagues will take this as a challenge to increase numbers in Europe by joining the group of holders of this splendid wild sheep.

ruske-biblio