Mountain Goat Fact Sheet
By Yumeko Ziegler
Mountain goats are one of the least-studied large mammal species in North America. They only started to be written about in scientific literature in 1816 and are often mistaken for Dall sheep. 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.
Currently, mountain goats are not an endangered or threatened species. However, some of the challenges they face include…
Harsh winter conditions
Hunting of “nannies” during the winter
Timber harvest which reduces their available habitat
DID YOU KNOW…
Babies are “kids,” “males are “billies,” and females are “nannies”
Like tree rings, you can count the rings on their horns to know their age. Two-year olds have one ring, three year olds have two, etc.
They are known to lick the salt off of minerals off cliff sides
Mountain goats technically aren’t goats! They are in the bovidae family, meaning they are associated with antelopes, gazelles, and cattle
Photo courtesy of Glacier National Park/Flickr
SCIENTIFIC AND COMMON NAMES
Oreamnos americanus - Mountain Goat, which translates to “American goats” because they are the only native goat-type in North America. They are sometimes called “Rocky Mountain goats.”
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Mountain goats can be easily differentiated from Dall sheep by their black horns. They have white fur, strong hooves, and muscular builds. They have long fur along their spines, rump, shoulders, and neck that stand up to at least eight inches in length.
Males and females look very similar, although males weigh 280 pounds (127 kg), while females generally weigh 180 pounds (81.6 kg). Their horns are the same length, although adult male goat horns are thinner and have a sharper bend at the tip. In June, males shed their winter coats before females and in July their fur coats become short and soft. This only lasts a few months, because in October, they regain their winter coats.
Mountain goats are adapted to living in their mountainous habitats-one example is their toes. Their hooves have hard shells and spongy foot pads that keep them from slipping, allowing them to stand on very small cracks. They are also very muscular with strong shoulders for climbing and to dig for food in the winter through large mounds of snow.
Check out this video of mountain goats climbing!
RANGE
Map courtesy of Ninjatacoshell/Wikimedia
Mountain goats live in steep mountainous habitats, from sea level to over 10,000 feet in elevation in northwestern North America, including Idaho, Washington, British Columbia, and South Central Alaska.
There is an estimated population of 3,600 to 4,600 mountain goats in the Kenai Peninsula, and are seen in the Harding Icefield Trail in late spring and summer months. They are also seen between Caines Head and Callisto Head, earning the name “goat alley” because nannies are often spotted on the shoreline where they give birth to their kids in late May and early June.
THREATS/CONCERNS
Mountain goat populations vary considerably in different locations year to year because they are sensitive to the severe winter conditions. One of the most impactful factors of their wellbeing in the winter is high snowfall levels. This is compounded by the fact that many nannies are hunted when the harsh weather makes them vulnerable. Because a nanny can produce one or two kids per year, a population drop in nannies is difficult to come back from.
LIFE HISTORY
Breeding season for mountain goats is between late October and early December when billies travel large distances for over a month to find receptive nannies. Nannies are ready to breed when they are two years old and the billies are ready to breed around 5-10 years old.
The dominant billies are the ones that breed, and so the males battle for that title with their horns. Mountain goats are polygynous, meaning the males will breed with multiple females.
Six months later in late May to early June, the nannies will give birth to one or two kids. Within a few days, the kids are able to run and escape predators, and until they are a year old their mothers teach them to navigate the steep hills and rocks. Mountain goats typically live for 9-12 years, but they can potentially live up to 18 years.
Photo courtesy of Grickson Dave, USFWS
DIET
Mountain goats are herbivores with a versatile diet so they can get through the winter. They can be found eating grasses, mosses, ferns, herbs, lichen, and woody plants. They can occasionally be found licking salt off of cliff sides, as well.
CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE
Mountain goats have been hunted by Indingenous peoples for a very long time, as long as hunters were able to hunt effectively in the goats’ steep, rugged habitats. Because of this difficulty, goats weren’t hunted so widely, but they were important to those who had access to them.
Mountain goats were usually hunted in the summer when they had more food to eat, and therefore, more fat. They were often herded with dogs, bringing the goats towards the hunters who were waiting with spears, arrows, or guns. They could also be hunted using snares made from willow branches.
They were used for a variety of purposes outside of food. Their skin could be used to make clothing, bedding, carpets, containers, and dog sleds, and the skin of kids could be used to make baby cradles. Their hair was used to make fish sacs and blankets, and the sinew was used to make string, snares, and twine. Their horns were made into tools, good luck articles, jewelry, and headdresses. Their fat was used to make medicines and rubs, and it was also used on faces before painting on them.
MOUNTAIN GOAT COLORING SHEET
Coloring page courtesy of Yulia Sungurova/Supercoloring
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Information obtained from: Alaska Department of Fish and Game, National Forest Foundation, National Park Service, Traditional Animal Foods of Indigenous Peoples of Northern North America, World Atlas.
