Rocky Mountain Goats
Mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus) are a North American species of hoofed ungulate. They live in rugged river canyons and high-elevation mountainous areas across much of western Canada and the western United States.
Overview of Mountain Goats in North America
Rocky Mountain goats are one of the most iconic species in North America, and are emblematic of the alpine terrain they inhabit. Most of us involved in RMGA have a great goat story or encounter, but we like to share quotes from a few people who know them best:
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"In North America there is one large animal that belongs almost entirely to the realm of towering rock and unmelting snow. Pressing hard against the upper limit of life's possibilities, it exists higher and steeper throughout the year than any other big beast on the continent. It is probably the best and most complete mountaineer that ever existed on any continent. Oreamnos americanus is its scientific name. Its common name is mountain goat." - Douglas Chadwick, A Beast the Color of Winter
"Far above where most humans venture, where the upthrust peaks embrace the heavens, a gentleman dressed in a shaggy white cloak roams the heights. Trimmed in beard, baggy pants, black nose, and stiletto horns, he rambles the ridgetops amid blinding snow and biting wind, where winter reigns half of the year. Perhaps the most extraordinary mountaineer to ever live, this Old Man of the Mountains is America's mountain goat." - Bruce Smith, Life on the Rocks
Mountain Goats are Alpine Experts
Mountain goats are known for their striking appearance and alpine adaptations that include specialized hooves, a thick fur coat, and sharp black horns. They range from Alaska to Colorado, with both native and introduced herds throughout various mountain ranges in the USA and Canada. Given their close connection and reliance on alpine habitats for food and escape terrain, they are a prime indicator species for the highest places in North America. However goes the alpine, so too goes the mountain goats.