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Mountain Goat

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Oreamnos americanus
The Mountain Goat is a large ungulate found only in North America. They are the only species in their genus, but belong to the same subfamily as True Goats and Sheep, Musk Oxen, and Takin.

Mountain Goats live in the Rocky and Cascade Mountains, and they are the largest animals (in their range) to live above the tree line. Males can weigh over 300lbs, while females are usually 2/3 the size.

Despite their large size, the Mountain Goats are very good climbers. Their cloven hooves spread apart for balance, and their footpads help them to maintain traction while traversing areas that have up to 60 degrees of incline. They can also jump up to 12feet in a single leap!

Aside from the size, male and female mountain goats look like-- stark white fut with short beards and black horns. Males live alone most of the time, while females live in small herds with other females and their offspring. Kids are born during the Spring months, and because of the lack of ground cover they have to be up and moving within minutes of birth!
IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : North America
Size : Height around 3ft (.9m), Weight around 200lbs (90kg)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Artiodactyla
Family : Bovidae -- Genus : Oreamnos -- Species : O. americanus
Images : Robert Shepherd

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