The Crestone Eagle, October 2007:

Crestone’s Sangre de Cristos mark the southern boundary of mountain goat range
story by Keno
photos by Wendy Shattil & Bob Rozinski

The Mountain goat (Oreamnos americanus), also known as the Rocky Mountain goat, is found only in the northwestern regions of North America. Although it resembles a goat, it is not a true goat, being of a different genus. They are of the order Artiodactyla and the family Bovidae, along with antelope and cattle. These animals reside at high elevations and are sure-footed climbers, often resting on rocky cliffs that predators cannot reach.

Both male (billy) and female (nanny) mountain goats have beards, short tails, and black horns, 10-12 inches in length. They are protected from the elements by their woolly white coats. The fine, dense wool of their undercoat is covered by an outer layer of longer hairs. In the winter, their coats help them to withstand temperatures as low as -50° F and winds of up to 100 mph.

A billy weighs about 200 lbs, while females average around 150 lbs. The billies have longer horns and a longer beard than the nannies. Their feet are well-suited for climbing steep, rocky slopes, sometimes with pitches of 60° or more, with inner pads that provide traction and hooves that can spread apart as needed. Claws on the back of their feet also help to keep them from slipping.

The mountain goat inhabits mainly the Rocky Mountains and Cascade Mountain Range regions of North America. They can be found from Alaska south through British Columbia and Alberta and down into Oregon, eastward into Idaho, Utah and Montana, with South Dakota being the furthest east you will find them. Colorado is the furthest south their territory goes; in fact, our mountains to the east of town are just about their southern limit.

British Columbia has the largest population of mountain goats; there are believed to number around 100,000. In Colorado there are about 1,600. Yes, we have a few mountain goats in our mountains above Crestone, but only a few. It is estimated that there are only between 1 to 5 mountain goats in our mountains at this time, as most of them stay to the north, in the Collegiate Peaks where their numbers are greater.

In this area, and unlike bighorn sheep, mountain goats usually never wander down below 11,000 feet, and have been spotted as high up as 14,000 feet. They are known to descend to as low as sea level in coastal areas, but they are primarily an alpine species.

Mountain goats normally summer in high alpine meadows where they graze on grasses, herbs, and shrubs. Most migrate from alpine summer ranges to winter at or below tree line, but some may remain on high ridges. As winter advances and the more succulent plant species die off, their feeding habits shift to browsing.

Kids are born in the spring after a six month gestation period. Usually nannies give birth to a single offspring. Twinning occurs rarely, but is more frequent following mild winters. At birth, kids stand only about 13 inches at the shoulder and weigh just 5 to 7 lbs. They are precocious, and begin to run and climb within hours of their birth. They are usually weaned within one month, yet follow their mothers closely for the first year of life, usually until she reproduces again.

In the wild, mountain goats usually live 12 to 15 years. In zoos however, they live up to 20 years. They are prey to coyotes, mountain lions, bears and bobcats. Even though their size protects them from other predators in the highest of altitudes, females still must defend their young from eagles, which can be a threat to very young kids.

So, if you have an interest in viewing these animals, it is suggested that you head up north to the Collegiates to do so. Yes, you just might see one of them even up in our mountains—if you’re lucky, that is.

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