Mountain Goat

A mountain goat (Oreamnos americanus) is a large, hoofed mammal native to the mountainous regions of North America. It is known for its remarkable climbing ability and shaggy white coat. 🐐

Mountain goats are characterized by a dense, white, woolly coat that keeps them warm in cold alpine climates. They have a long beard and a relatively short tail. Both males and females have black, dagger-like horns that are slightly curved backward and can grow up to a foot long. Their most unique feature is their hooves, which have a hard outer edge and a soft inner pad that provides exceptional grip on steep, rocky terrain.

Mountain goats live in some of the most rugged and inaccessible alpine and subalpine habitats, including cliffs, rock faces, and high-altitude valleys. They are herbivores, and their diet consists of grasses, ferns, mosses, and other high-altitude vegetation.

Mountain goats are excellent climbers and are rarely found far from cliffs or steep slopes, which they use to escape from predators like wolves and bears. They are generally solitary animals, but they may form small groups. They are not true goats but are part of the antelope subfamily, most closely related to chamois and muskoxen.