- Porcupine caribou
Taxobox
name = Porcupine caribou
regnum =Animal ia
phylum =Chordata
classis =Mammal ia
ordo =Artiodactyla
familia =Cervidae
genus = "Rangifer "
species = "R. tarandus"
subspecies = "R. t. granti"
trinomial = "Rangifer tarandus granti"
trinomial_authority = Allen, 1902The Porcupine
caribou or Grant's Caribou ("Rangifer tarandus granti") herd is located in the northernYukon andAlaska . Their name does not derive from the animalporcupine , but from thePorcupine River which runs through a large part of their range. Though numbers fluctuate, the herd is comprised of over ~125,000 animals which migrate over 1,500 miles (900km ) a year between their winter range and calving grounds. They are the primary sustenance of theGwichʼin , aFirst 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 theInupiat ,Inuvialuit ,Hän , andNorthern Tutchone . There is currently debate on whether possible future oil drilling in theArctic National Wildlife Refuge , which encompasses much of its historical calving grounds, will have a severe negative impact on the caribou population. For more information on this topic, seeArctic Refuge drilling controversy .ee also
*
Jonathon Solomon External links
* [http://www.taiga.net/pcmb/ Porcupine Caribou Management Board]
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