Queen Charlotte Islands caribou facts for kids
The Queen Charlotte Islands caribou or Dawson's caribou (Rangifer tarandus dawsoni) was a special type of reindeer (also called caribou in North America). It used to live only on Graham Island. This island is the biggest one in Haida Gwaii, British Columbia, Canada. Sadly, this caribou is now extinct, meaning there are no more left alive.
Quick facts for kids Queen Charlotte Islands caribou or Dawson's caribou |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | Cervidae |
| Subfamily: | Capreolinae |
| Genus: | Rangifer |
| Species: | |
| Subspecies: |
†R. t. dawsoni
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| Trinomial name | |
| Rangifer tarandus dawsoni (Seton, 1900)
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| Approximate range of subspecies of Rangifer tarandus. Overlap with other subspecies of caribou is possible for contiguous range. 1.R. t. caribou, which is subdivided into ecotypes: woodland (boreal), woodland (migratory) and woodland (mountain), 2.R. t. dawsoni (extinct 1908), 3. R. t. granti, 4. R. t. groenlandicus, 5. R. t. groenlandicus/pearyi, 6.R. t. pearyi | |
Contents
What Was the Dawson's Caribou?
The Dawson's caribou was a kind of caribou that looked mostly grey. It was a unique animal because it lived only in one specific place. Scientists call it a "subspecies" because it was a slightly different version of the caribou found elsewhere.
Where Did This Caribou Live?
This special caribou lived on Graham Island. This island is part of the Haida Gwaii group of islands. These islands are located off the coast of British Columbia, Canada. It was the only place in the world where this particular caribou lived.
Why Did They Disappear?
The last three Queen Charlotte Islands caribou were killed in 1908. This means they became extinct over a hundred years ago. Scientists believe several things might have caused their disappearance:
- Habitat Loss: Their home, the forests and land on Graham Island, might have been destroyed or changed. This could have happened because of logging or other human activities.
- New Diseases: Diseases that the caribou had never faced before might have been brought to the island. These diseases could have spread quickly and harmed the caribou.
- Too Much Hunting: People might have hunted too many of these caribou. If more caribou were hunted than could be born, their numbers would quickly drop.
Seeing Them Today
Even though they are extinct, you can still see parts of the last Queen Charlotte Islands caribou. Their pelts (skins) and bones are kept safe. You can find them on display at the Royal British Columbia Museum. This museum helps us remember animals that are no longer with us.
A Scientific Puzzle
Recently, scientists studied the DNA from the remains of these caribou. DNA is like a blueprint for living things. This study suggested that the Queen Charlotte Islands caribou might not have been very different from caribou on the Canadian mainland. This means they might have been more similar than first thought.
