MAMMALS

Mountain Goat (Rocky Mountain Goat), Oreamnos americanus

Family Bovidae (sheep, goats, bison)

Size/Weight: approx. 3' tall at shoulder; approx. 200 lbs. (males larger than females)

Range: Northern Rocky Mountains, northern Cascades

Habitat: High-altitude cliffs, near or above timberline

Found only in North America, the mountain goat is a stocky, sure-footed member of the bovid family, and the largest mammal likely to be seen in the alpine zone. It is all white or cream-colored, with dense, wooly fur and a shaggy beard below the throat. The hooves and the thin, backward-curving horns are black. Horns are present in both males and females. The shoulder is humped, and the tail is short and stubby. Able to withstand extreme cold, mountain goats are seen singly or in small groups foraging among impossibly steep, rocky slopes for lichens, grasses, herbs, ferns, and tree branches.

Track size (front): 3" wide x 3" long

Track size (rear): 2¾" wide x 2½" long

Description of Track: The front track is larger than the rear. Both feet have four toes, with two hooved inner toes and two outer dewclaws that do not register in the track, but are important to assist in gripping steep terrain. The tips of the hooves are pointed in the center, not to the inside as in other bovids. There is a large subunguinis, which also aids in traction. The hoof points may splay apart considerably.