July 13, 2009, 9:52 pm
Contrary to its name,
the mountain goat isn’t a true goat. This even-toed ungulate belongs to the
order Artiodactyla, family Bovidae and subfamily Caprinae–along with thirty-two
other species including the true goat–but claims the genus Oreamnos all to
itself. Found only in North America, these nimble climbers are found at high
elevations often resting on rocky cliffs that predators cannot reach.
Description: Mountain goats are designed to climb steep rocks. Their feet have
skid-resistant pads and their two front toes can move apart and squeeze back
together to better grip rocky escarpments. They use their two back hooves as brakes when they descend
steep terrain.
Both male and female
mountain goats have beards, short tails and long black horns (15-28 cm long)
that show yearly growth rings. Their woolly, double coats protect from the
hostile climate of their habitat.
Characteristics:
Body Length: Males reach
lengths of up to 69 inches and females 57 inches.
Shoulder Height: Males
reach up to 48 inches and females 36 inches.
Weight: Adult males
weigh 101-225 pounds; females are 10-30% lighter
Park Habitat:
Mountain goats inhabit
rocky terrain in alpine and subalpine regions. They usually keep to their high
mountain range all year long, only going below the treeline in the case of
really severe winter weather.
A great place to spot
mountain goats in Glacier National Park is at the aptly named Goat Lick Overlook, located along U.S.
Highway 2 approximately 2.5 miles east of the Walton Ranger Station. Mountain
goats and other animals come to this exposed riverbank to lick the
mineral-laden cliffs.
Diet: These
majestic beasts graze on a wide variety of grasses, sedges, herbs, shrub leaves
and twigs, ferns, mosses, lichen, even conifer needles.
Interesting Fact: Before the Northern Trail opened at Seattle’s
Woodland Park Zoo, yearling mountain goats climbed 8 feet tall chain link
fences without breaking a sweat!
