Rocky Mountain Goat
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Rocky Mountain Goat | ||||||||||||||
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Rocky Mountain Goat | ||||||||||||||
Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||
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Binomial name | ||||||||||||||
Oreamnos americanus (de Blainville, 1816) |
The Rocky Mountain Goat, (Oreamnos americanus) often called simply Mountain Goat, is a large hoofed mammal found only in North America, in the Rocky Mountains and Coast Mountains regions, from northern Washington through British Columbia into the southern Yukon and southwestern Alaska. Its northernmost range is said to be along the northern fringe of the Chugach Mountains in southcentral Alaska. Although it resembles a goat, it is actually more closely related to the antelope family. It resides at high elevations, protected from the elements by its woolly coat. A billy (male) stands about 1 meter (3'3") at the shoulder and weighs about 90 kg (200 lbs.). It has longer horns and a longer beard than the nanny (female). The animal is a sure-footed climber and often rests on rocky cliffs that predators cannot reach.
Reference
A.W.F. Banfield (1974). The Mammals of Canada. University of Toronto Press. ISBN 0802021379