You can’t have a Wild Facts theme of Animals of the Canadian Rockies without talking about the Mountain Goat, could you? Today we are going to look at one of the most sure-footed animals on this planet. The Mountain Goat can be found on the highest peaks of the Rocky Mountains from Alaska through Canada and into the northern United States. Regardless of their name, the Mountain Goat is not a true goat, however, they are closely related to goats. In order to be correct they are usually classed as goat-antelopes. I have to admit calling them Mountain Goat-Antelopes does have a nice ring to it.
I mentioned that the Mountain Goat can be found on the highest peaks of the Rockies. In fact, they often leave many other animals including humans in their dust when it comes to climbing mountains. Much of the climbing ability can be attributed to the hooves of the Mountain Goat. Their incredibly tight-rope walking balance comes from their split hooves. These hooves have two toes on them which are spread far apart to provide this much needed balance. Similarly, these toes have a rough patch on them which helps them cling to the mountain. You know those climbing shoes you spend hundreds of dollars on, well a Mountain Goat gets those for free with these rough toe pads. Besides their hooves and toes, the agility and nimbleness of the Mountain Goat provides them with superior climbing skills. These goat-antelopes are able to jump 3.5 m (12′) in a single leap. I don’t know about you but I find that truly impressive. I would have killed the competition in the high school long jump if I could leap 12 feet anytime I chose.
There appears to be quite the divide between the females (called nannies) and the males (called billies) as they live very different lifestyles. The nannies will usually live in herds with their young (called kids). This group of nannies and kids can reach as many as twenty individuals. Meanwhile the billies will go out and live on their own. Occasionally, they will find a couple of male roommates to help split rent. Basically, the billies live the bachelor life while the nannies take care of the kids.
Mountain Goat Fast Fact – Come spring time the nanny goat will give birth to one or two kids. Amazingly these kids are born on their feet and ready to climb. I guess you could say the kids are just born climbers. It is a good thing too since they need to move around to find food on the sparse mountain tops.
So we are down to our last Wild Fact for Animals of the Canadian Rockies. I will make sure we end it with one of the most exciting animals found in the mountains. Oh wait, Bigfoot isn’t real, is he? I guess I will have to come up with another animal for tomorrow.
Enjoy the rest of your day folks!
