Mountain Goat

Oreamnos americanus

Who would believe that a hoofed animal could live on the icy face of a sheer cliff under frigid winter conditions? Mountain Goats can. Their hooves have hard sharp edges and rubbery soles that help them to get traction on ice and rock. They live on cliffs because no predators can follow them and there is no competition for the grasses and other plants that grow on the hard-to-reach ledges.

Look For : A long-haired, white, square-looking goat with small black horns and a hump on the shoulders. Easily spotted in summer but nearly invisible when the mountaintops are covered with snow, which is 10 months of the year.

Length : Body 4-5' long, 3-4' high; tail 3-8" long; 117-180 lb.

Habitat : Cliffs, tops of ridges, grassy rocky slopes, and alpine meadows.

Range : Southern Alaska south to Oregon, Nevada, and New Mexico.