Mountain Goat
(Oreamnos americanus)
The Mountain Goat (Oreamnos
americanus) is not a true goat, but is among a group called
goat-antelopes. Where the horns of true goats sweep up
and back and are tightly spiraled like a corkscrew, the Mountain
Goat's horns curve back slightly and are nearly smooth. November
and December is their rutting season and battles between rival
males are uncommon. Usually a single kid is born in the spring
weighing around 6 or 7 lbs. and remains with it's mother until
the next year's young are born. Avalanches and rock slides are
the greatest killers of these animals. The Golden Eagle can attack
a kid and Cougars may attack an adult when they venture into
the valleys, but their horns and sharp hooves make them dangerous
prey. They reside in rocky mountainous areas above the timberline.
Their range is from Southern Alaska through British Columbia
and into Northern Washington, Idaho and Montana.
Mountain Goat (Oreamnos americanus)
Mountain Goat (Oreamnos americanus)