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Fast Facts:

Young mountain goats are called kids. Males are called bucks; Females
The only natural predator to the Rocky Mountain goat is an occasional bear.

Rocky Mountain Goat

Scientific Name	Oreamnos americanus
Classification	Phylum Chordata, Class Mammalia, Order Artiodactyla, Family Bovidae, Subfamily Caprinae
Status	Currently not listed as endangered. Populations are not protected from hunting in the U.S., and if current expansion of roads and homes into their habitat increases, they will begin to decline rapidly. Rocky Mountain goats are very easily disturbed and do not take well to conservation efforts.
Range	Rocky Mountain goats are found from the fjords of Alaska to the Alpine regions of the Rocky Mountains. They can also be found in the dry canyons of Idaho and Montana.
Habitat	Very adaptable to different climates. Can live in wet or dry, and warm or cold environments, but populations seem to thrive most in wet, cold, rocky cliff regions.
Diet	In the wild, the goats are browsers of grasses, herbs, leaves, and coniferous trees.
Size	Height: Males measure approximately 3.0 feet at the shoulder, and females average 2.5 feet at the shoulder. Weight: Males weigh 150 to 400 lbs, while females weigh 125 to 200 lbs. Horns: 8 - 10 inches
Lifespan	Rocky Mountain goats can live up to 18 years in the wild.
Location
Print Fact Sheet	Rocky Mt. Goat

Special Features

Exhibit little sexual dimorphism. Males are just a little larger, but females are dominant to all males except in the peak of the rut (mating season).

Physical characteristics:
The Rocky Mountain goat is well adapted to life in mountainous regions. The animal's hooves are soft and elastic to help conform to the rocky slopes and prevent slipping, and its skin is very thick due to the sometimes harsh conditions. This thick skin also helps protect the animal during occasional fights. The goat's coat is all white and becomes very thick in the wintertime for warmth. The color helps camouflage them while trekking through snow.

The Rocky Mountain goat possesses glands on the back of the head for scent marking during the rut. These glands are called "rutting figs".

Social Structures & Behavior

Rocky Mountain goats are diurnal, and females tend to travel in small groups of less than 10. Males are solitary. Mountain goats are generally considered non-territorial. The only exceptions are during the rut or when food is scarce. During the mating season, bucks make "rutting pits", in which they scrape out dirt and smear themselves with it. "They sit on their thighs like dogs, throwing urine-moistened mud with well developed forelegs against their undersides" (Geist 503). After mating, the females will drive the male out of the territory. The males generally don't resist because they know they would be in competition with their offspring for food and resources if they stayed.

Mountain goats do not continuously vie for dominance like their sheep and true goat relatives. When mountain goats fight, it is much more violent and often results in a fatality. They do not butt heads; instead, they use their sharp horns to impale one another.

Breeding & care of young:
The Rocky Mountain goat will reach sexual maturity at 2.5 years of age. Mating season lasts from mid November through December, and a pregnant female has a gestation period of 6 to 7 months. Usually 1 to 2 offspring are born at a time.