Mountain goat
Mountain goats are agile, herbivorous mammals native to the northwestern region of North America, specifically the Rocky Mountains. They are well-adapted to their mountainous habitat, with a sturdy build that includes short, muscular legs and specialized hooves for gripping rocky terrain. With thick, shaggy white coats that change seasonally, both males and females possess distinctive backward-curving horns and beards throughout the year. Mountain goats typically form small, single-sex herds and are herbivores, foraging for grasses, leaves, and other plant material, even digging through snow in winter to find food.
During the mating season from October to November, males seek out females and may engage in non-lethal jabbing fights to establish dominance. Females carry their young for about five to six months, giving birth to one to three kids that can walk and jump shortly after birth. Despite their sure-footedness, mountain goats face threats from predators like eagles and large carnivores, and are particularly vulnerable to pneumonia if exposed to cold, wet conditions. Generally, they have a lifespan of up to 20 years and are not currently considered a threatened species.
On this Page
Mountain goat
Mountain goats are great at walking and jumping around on steep mountain cliffs, and can fight off predators with their sharp horns, but mountain goats cannot stay out in the rain. If their coats get soaked, they are very likely to die of pneumonia. Mountain goats are native to the northwestern area of North America.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Bovidae
Genus: Oreamnos
Species: Americanus
Mountain goats have thick, white, shaggy coats that are short in the summer and grow longer in the winter. Both male and female mountain goats have beards all year round. They have black, slightly ridged, backward curving horns. The females' horns are a little shorter than the males'. They have short, bulky legs with hooves specially designed to grip the rocky, icy mountain ground. Male mountain goats grow to an overall height of about four feet (1 1/4 meters) with a head to tail length of 5 1/2 feet (1 3/4 meters). They weigh about 135 to 180 pounds (61 to 81 1/2 kilograms). Female mountain goats grow to an overall height of about three feet (one meter) with a head to tail length of 4 1/2 feet (1 1/4 meters). The females weigh about 125 to 155 pounds (56 1/2 to 70 1/3 kilograms).
Mountain goats travel in small, single-sex herds eating the grasses and tree leaves found near the top of the Rocky Mountains. They may be found further north as well. They are herbivores, or plant-eaters. In winter they will dig through the snow to find the mosses, lichens, woody twigs, and bark buried beneath. They look for food in an area between three and 5 1/2 miles (five to nine kilometers) wide.
Mountain goats are very sure-footed. They can move around from one place to the next, even on mountain cliffs, without much fear of falling or getting stuck. Even so, rockslides and avalanches are still a danger. Because of their isolated living area, mountain goats have few predators, but golden eagles, mountain lions, coyotes, bobcats, wolves, grizzly and black bears still attack sometimes. Generally, mountain goats will fight back with their sharp horns, but may die doing so. Rain is also a danger to the mountain goats. If they get their coats soaked with cold rain, they are likely to catch pneumonia and die.
Mating season for the mountain goats lasts from October through November. Males go to the female herds to mate. If a male has to fight for a female, he will butt the opposing male with his horns, but they will not lock horns head on. Mountain goats have fragile horns and if they lock them with another's, and push and tug, the horns may break, leaving the mountain goat defenseless against its enemies. So, instead of locking horns, they will jab each other until the weaker goat backs down. The gestation period (duration of pregnancy) is between 147 and 186 days. The female then gives birth to one to three kids, or young goats, which weigh about nine pounds. Mountain goat kids can walk and jump within a half hour after they are born. Kids are weaned when they are three to four months old. The kids will stay with the mother for nine months and leave when the mother is about to give birth to another kid. Mountain goats can reproduce when they are around 2 1/2 years old.
Mountain goats have a life span of up to 20 years. They are not a threatened species.
Bibliography
“ADW: Oreamnos Americanus: Information.” Animal Diversity Web, 2007, animaldiversity.org/accounts/Oreamnos‗americanus. Accessed 29 Apr. 2024.
“Mountain Goat - Facts, Diet, Habitat, & Pictures on Animalia.bio.” Animalia, 2024, animalia.bio/mountain-goat. Accessed 29 Apr. 2024.