The mountain goat (Oreamnos americanus) is distinguished by its long, shaggy white coat and slightly curved black horns. These mythical looking creatures can be mistaken from afar for a unicorn if one has an active imagination. With their powerful legs and thick white fur it is easy to see how some people looking at them from the side, seeing the profile of a single horn may have gotten the idea. In fact the traditional unicorn was depicted with a Billy-goat beard. The environment in which these hoofed creatures can be found is perhaps akin to the fairy tale setting one imagines. 90 percent of their population is located in Southeast Alaska and British Columbia.
Description
Both males and females have beards and long black horns which have yearly growth rings on them. These herbivores typically weigh 100 to 300 pounds; females are on the lighter side. Their hooves are cloven or split so they can spread apart as needed and have inner pads that are sticky like rock shoe rubber or the soles of a good hiking boot. Mountain goats do more than hike, they climb steep rock faces.
Home Sweet Home
Mountain goats live on rocky mountain slopes, generally staying in the alpine above tree line but sometimes descend to sea level in coastal areas. The goats prefer to stay on steep slopes of a 60 degree angle or more. An average ski slope is 35 to 40 degrees. The goats can’t run from their predators which are mostly bear and wolves but they can usually out climb them.
Against the Elements
Few animals have their young on cliffs so steep. Once again to avoid prey they stay on steep cliffs even when bearing their young. Nanny goats will usually give birth to a single kid after six months and the kids are around seven pounds at birth. They begin bounding and climbing within hours in order to survive on the mountainsides. The nannies position themselves below the kids to ensure a block in case of a fall.
Living in such exposed locations means one heck of a coat. Mountain goats are protected from the elements in a similar way to how humans prepare to face the weather – with layers. They have a thick wooly undercoat and an outer shaggy layer of longer white and hollow hairs. The hollow hairs traps air and warmth much the way a down comforter does. They can withstand temperatures down to -50 degrees.
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