Mountain goats are large hoofed mammals that live in North America. They are shaggy animals, with white coats and moderately long horns. Despite their resemblance to goats, and their name, they are actually not closely related to goats. Instead, they are members of a different taxonomical genus than “true” goats. Read on to learn about the mountain goat.
Description of the Mountain Goat
As their “mountain” name might suggest, these mammals live in cold, mountainous regions. To survive such harsh conditions, they have thick white coats of fur with two layers of hair, called a “double coat.” The double layer protects the mountain goats from the wind and rain in the mountains.
The largest individuals stand over 3 ft. tall, and can weigh up to 300 lbs. Their horns are black colored, and between 6 in. and 11 in. long.
Interesting Facts About the Mountain Goat
While most people can recognize what a mountain goat looks like, they usually don’t know much else about them. These interesting creatures have quite a few useful adaptations, learn more about them below.
- Climbing Skills – Any animal that lives in the mountain can obviously climb quite well, and mountain goats are no exception. These sure-footed mammals are capable of climbing up slopes at a 60º pitch or more!
- Fabulous Feet – They have rubbery hooves that help them get traction on slippery slopes. Each hoof has two sides, which they can spread apart to get a better grip. The tips of their hooves also have dewclaws, which add extra traction and prevent slipping.
- Friends in High Places – This expert climbing skill gives the mountain goat the ability to live very high in the mountains. Some individuals can live at heights up to 13,000 ft. above sea level! They are the largest mammals found at this altitude.
- Female Fights – While male mountain goats might be more famous for their fights, female mountain goats battle with one another as well. Within a herd, the female goats, called “nannies,” will fight over the best patches of food.
Habitat of the Mountain Goat
Within their mountainous habitats these mammals live in a few different types of ecosystems. They live in alpine regions, which are areas above where trees can grow. Mountain goats do occasionally move below the tree line, especially in search of minerals like salt. However, most herds live above the forested areas, where little trees grow and few predators prowl.
Distribution of the Mountain Goat
This species lives throughout mountain ranges of western North America. They inhabit both the Rocky Mountains and the Cascade Mountain Range. They live from southern Alaska down into portions of the Midwestern United States. Some small populations even live as far as Colorado and Utah. Humans have introduced the goats to many of their locations within the United States.
Diet of the Mountain Goat
When you live where few things can even grow, you cannot afford to be picky! Finding food is difficult in such harsh environments, so these goats spend most of their time foraging. They graze for grasses, lichens, herbs, mosses, and ferns. When they do travel beneath the tree line into the forest, they also eat twigs and leaves.
Mountain Goat and Human Interaction
Because they live at such high altitudes, mountain goats do not interact with humans very frequently. Even their interactions with native North American peoples were indirect. The indigenous tribes collected the wool that the mountain goats shed during the spring. At 13,000 ft. it is simply impractical for humans and mountain goats to interact very frequently!
Domestication
Humans have not domesticated mountain goats in any way. Humans bred domestic goats from the wild goat species Capra aegagrus.
Does the Mountain Goat Make a Good Pet
No, mountain goats do not make good pets. They are quite large, and can be very territorial. If they did decide that you were a threat, they could seriously injure you quite severely with their horns.
Mountain Goat Care
This should go without saying, but most zoos provide mountain goats with plenty of rock or artificial platforms to climb. Particularly remarkable zoos replicate their natural steep cliffs quite well. They keep the mountain goats in small herds, allowing them to socialize as they would naturally.
Avoiding starvation is much easier when someone provides your food daily! Zookeepers feed them a variety of grasses, hay, fruits, vegetables, and pelleted grains.
Behavior of the Mountain Goat
Males and females of this species only interact during the breeding season. Males group together in small herds, while females can create herds with up to 50 individuals.
Within the herd, both genders fight with one another over space and food. The most dominant individuals have the best grazing spots. Males also fight for dominance during the breeding season.
Reproduction of the Mountain Goat
The mating season begins in October and ends in the beginning of December. The gestation period is 6 months long, and most nannies give birth to a single baby, called a “kid.”
The kids wean quickly, and typically stop drinking milk within their first month. Despite this, the kids remain with their mothers for at least a year before venturing off on their own. They begin to breed once they reach 30 months (2 1/2 years) old.
FAQs
Mountain goats inhabit rugged, mountainous habitats in western North America. In Alaska, mountain goats occur in coastal regions in southeastern and south-central Alaska. Mountain goats were not described in the scientific literature until 1816 and remain one of the least-studied large mammals in North America.
What is the habitat of a mountain goat? ›
Mountain goats inhabit rugged, mountainous habitats in western North America. In Alaska, mountain goats occur in coastal regions in southeastern and south-central Alaska. Mountain goats were not described in the scientific literature until 1816 and remain one of the least-studied large mammals in North America.
What is the mountain goats diet? ›
Mountain goats are herbivores and spend most of their time grazing. Their diets include grasses, herbs, sedges, ferns, mosses, lichens, and twigs and leaves from the low-growing shrubs and conifers of their high-altitude habitat.
What are some interesting facts about mountain goats? ›
Mountain goats are powerful but nimble and can jump nearly 12 feet in a single bound. Mountain goats have distinctive beards and long, warm coats to protect them from cold temperatures and biting mountain winds. Their dazzling white coats provide good camouflage on the snowy heights.
What is a goats diet and habitat? ›
They usually live in elevations of 3,281 to 16,404 feet (1,000 to 5,000 meters) above sea level. Domestic goats are raised all over the world in almost every type of terrestrial biomes. The main habitat requirements for a domestic goat are grass to eat and a clean, ventilated shelter, according to the ADW.
Where do mountain goats find their food? ›
Since Mountain Goats live such extreme environments, food is scarce. They eat mountain mahogany, shrubs, conifers, sedges, rushes, mosses, lichens, and grasses found along and between rocks.
What is the best habitat for goats? ›
Your goats' housing should:
- be warm, dry, draught-free and well-ventilated.
- be big and sturdy enough for them.
- allow all goats to rest and feed comfortably.
- allow you to inspect, handle and manage your goats easily.
Unlike us, they have special four-compartment stomachs especially designed to digest roughage (food high in fiber) such as grass, hay and silage. The goat's stomach has four chambers: 1) the rumen, 2) the honeycombed reticulum, 3) the omasum, and 4) the abomasum or true stomach.
What foods goats Cannot eat? ›
But, just like other animals, goats shouldn't consume things like garlic, onion, chocolate or any source of caffeine, to name a few. Although most goats wouldn't eat leftover meat scraps, they shouldn't be offered them either. Citrus fruits should also be avoided, as they can really upset the rumen.
Do mountain goats eat meat? ›
Mountain goats are not goats. They are more related to antelope and are part of the bovidae family. These mammals are herbivores and eat grasses, herbs, sedges, ferns, mosses, lichens, twigs, leaves, and such.
Mountain goats will paw at soft scree or sandy soil to create a shallow depression for a bed. A bed on a steep slope prevents the goat from sliding down the slope. Goats bed down several times a day to chew their cud. Mountain goats in our area depend on wind in winter.
How fast are mountain goats? ›
When threatened or alarmed, mountain goats will seek steep rocky areas, often referred to as escape terrain (7, 15). They are renowned for their exceptional speed and agility on steep terrain, reaching short term speeds of 10-15 mph.
What do mountain goats eat during winter? ›
They winter high on steep cliffs where snow sheds readily or in areas where little snow accumulates. Here they find exposed vegetation not eaten during the summer as well as shrubs and lichens. Although treacherous, these steep cliffs not only provide food for the goats, but also offer protection from predators.
What is the habitat description of a goat? ›
Domesticated goats can eat fresh or dried grass, tree foliage, shrubs, bushes and various other plants. They are also adapted to many different habitats like the savanna, desert, scrub and mountain ranges.
What is a goats main diet? ›
Goats will eat hay, grasses, weeds, grain, and sometimes even tree bark! So, what do we actually feed the goats here at Zoo Atlanta? The main part of a goat's diet is called roughage. Roughage is usually grass or hay that is high in fiber and has relatively low calories.
Do goats need a special diet? ›
Food. Goats need a carefully balanced diet of high-quality hay, grass, 'browsings', and additional supplements. You should give them feed that's suitable for their age and breed, including: Long, fibrous food, which they need for their rumen to work efficiently at digesting.
How does a mountain goat adapt to its habitat? ›
They have special adaptations that allow them to survive in the rocky terrain. Their thick white coats protect them from cold temperatures and provide camouflage in the snowy mountains. Cloven hoofs allow them to scale sheer rocky cliffs to find food and avoid predation.
Do mountain goats live on cliffs? ›
They prefer living in high-altitude alpine and subalpine environments, and can be found even up to 13,000 ft (3.96 km). Mountain goats can be recognized by their white coats and their black horns. Their strong bodies and hooves help them live on steep cliffs, even on the tiniest of cracks.
Do mountain goats live in the tundra? ›
These surefooted and agile creatures are most at home on rocky ridges, precipitous cliffs, and high alpine tundra.
