Porcupine caribou
Encyclopedia
The Porcupine caribou or Grant's caribou (Rangifer tarandus granti) is a subspecies
of the caribou found in Alaska
and adjacent parts of Canada
. It resembles the Barren-ground Caribou
(R. t. groenlandicus) and is sometimes included in it.
Their name does not derive from the animal porcupine
, but from the Porcupine River
which runs through a large part of their range. Though numbers fluctuate, the herd comprises over 125,000 animals which migrate over 1,500 miles (2,500 km) a year between their winter range and calving grounds, the longest land migration route of any land mammal on earth. They are the primary sustenance of the Gwichʼin, a First Nations
/Alaska Native people, who traditionally built their communities based upon the caribou's migration patterns. They are also routinely hunted by other peoples, including the Inupiat, Inuvialuit
, Hän
, and Northern Tutchone
. There is currently controversy over whether possible future oil drilling on the coastal plains of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
, encompassing much of the Porcupine Caribou calving grounds, will have a severe negative impact on the caribou population or whether the caribou population will grow.
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
of the caribou found in Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
and adjacent parts of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It resembles the Barren-ground Caribou
Barren-ground Caribou
Barren-ground Caribou is a subspecies of the caribou that is found mainly in the Canadian territories Nunavut and the Northwest Territories and western Greenland. It sometimes includes the similar porcupine caribou, in which case the barren-ground caribou also is found in Alaska...
(R. t. groenlandicus) and is sometimes included in it.
Their name does not derive from the animal porcupine
Porcupine
Porcupines are rodents with a coat of sharp spines, or quills, that defend or camouflage them from predators. They are indigenous to the Americas, southern Asia, and Africa. Porcupines are the third largest of the rodents, behind the capybara and the beaver. Most porcupines are about long, with...
, but from the Porcupine River
Porcupine River
The Porcupine River is a river that runs through Alaska and the Yukon. Having its source in the Ogilvie Mountains north of Dawson City, Yukon, it flows north, veers to the southwest, goes through the community of Old Crow, Yukon, flowing into the Yukon River at Fort Yukon, Alaska...
which runs through a large part of their range. Though numbers fluctuate, the herd comprises over 125,000 animals which migrate over 1,500 miles (2,500 km) a year between their winter range and calving grounds, the longest land migration route of any land mammal on earth. They are the primary sustenance of the Gwichʼin, a First Nations
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
/Alaska Native people, who traditionally built their communities based upon the caribou's migration patterns. They are also routinely hunted by other peoples, including the Inupiat, Inuvialuit
Inuvialuit
The Inuvialuit or Western Canadian Inuit are Inuit people who live in the western Canadian Arctic region. They, like all other Inuit, are descendants of the Thule who migrated eastward from Alaska...
, Hän
Han
-China:* China , an abbreviation or adjectival modifier for things Chinese* Han Chinese , the dominant majority ethnic group of China and overseas Chinese...
, and Northern Tutchone
Northern Tutchone
The Northern Tutchone are a First Nations people living mainly in the central Yukon in Canada. The Northern Tutchone language, originally spoken by the Northern Tutchone people, is a variety of the Tutchone language, part of the Athabaskan language family...
. There is currently controversy over whether possible future oil drilling on the coastal plains of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge in northeastern Alaska, United States. It consists of in the Alaska North Slope region. It is the largest National Wildlife Refuge in the country, slightly larger than the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge...
, encompassing much of the Porcupine Caribou calving grounds, will have a severe negative impact on the caribou population or whether the caribou population will grow.