Rocky Mountain goat, hoofed ruminant mammal, Oreamnos americanus, found in the high mountains of S Alaska, W Canada, and the extreme NW United States. Although it is not a true goat it belongs to the same family (cattle cattle, name for the ruminant mammals of the genus Bos, and particularly those of the domesticated species, Bos taurus and B. indica. The term oxen, broadly used, refers also to closely related animals, such as the buffalo and the bison.
..... Click the link for more information. family) and is goatlike in appearance, with a bearded chin, long face, and sharp, black horns 9 to 12 in. (22–30 cm) long, curved slightly backward. The head is large and the neck short. The coat is long, thick, and pure white. The male is about 3 ft (90 cm) high at the massively humped shoulder and weighs up to 200 lb (90 kg). Rocky Mountain goats live in small herds on steep mountain sides and cliffs, feeding on the stunted vegetation above the timberline. They are extremely sure-footed and nimbly traverse precipitous slopes and ledges. Related to the Old World chamois chamois , hollow-horned, hoofed mammal, Rupicapra rupicapra, found in the mountains of Europe and the E Mediterranean. It is about the size of a large goat and is light brown with a black tail, a black back stripe, and black markings on its face.
..... Click the link for more information. , the Rocky Mountain goat is classified in the phylum Chordata Chordata , phylum of animals having a notochord, or dorsal stiffening rod, as the chief internal skeletal support at some stage of their development. Most chordates are vertebrates (animals with backbones), but the phylum also includes some small marine invertebrate
..... Click the link for more information. , subphylum Vertebrata, class Mammalia, order Artiodactyla, family Bovidae.
Ruminant (bovid species Oreamnos americanus) of the Yukon to the northern Rockies that is more closely related to antelopes than to goats. Stocky, with a hump at the withers, mountain goats stand about 40 in. (1 m) at the shoulder. Both sexes bear short, hollow, slightly backward-curving, black horns. The shaggy, coarse white hair covers a thick, woolly underfur, and a beard frames the slender muzzle. The hooves are black. Mountain goats are agile climbers and can leap more than 12 ft (3.5 m). They live in small bands above the timberline, eating moss, lichen, and scrub foliage.
Rocky Mountain Goat
..... Click the link for more information. family) and is goatlike in appearance, with a bearded chin, long face, and sharp, black horns 9 to 12 in. (22–30 cm) long, curved slightly backward. The head is large and the neck short. The coat is long, thick, and pure white. The male is about 3 ft (90 cm) high at the massively humped shoulder and weighs up to 200 lb (90 kg). Rocky Mountain goats live in small herds on steep mountain sides and cliffs, feeding on the stunted vegetation above the timberline. They are extremely sure-footed and nimbly traverse precipitous slopes and ledges. Related to the Old World chamois chamois , hollow-horned, hoofed mammal, Rupicapra rupicapra, found in the mountains of Europe and the E Mediterranean. It is about the size of a large goat and is light brown with a black tail, a black back stripe, and black markings on its face.
..... Click the link for more information. , the Rocky Mountain goat is classified in the phylum Chordata Chordata , phylum of animals having a notochord, or dorsal stiffening rod, as the chief internal skeletal support at some stage of their development. Most chordates are vertebrates (animals with backbones), but the phylum also includes some small marine invertebrate
..... Click the link for more information. , subphylum Vertebrata, class Mammalia, order Artiodactyla, family Bovidae.
mountain goat
or Rocky Mountain goat)
Mountain goat (Oreamnos americanus)
(credit: Earl Kubis—Root Resources)
Rocky Mountain Goat
(Oreamnos americanus), an artiodactyl of the family Bovidae. The body length is approximately 150 cm, and the tail length is 15–20 cm. The animal weighs 75–140 kg. Its white coat is thick and long. The body structure is similar to that of a domestic goat. Males and females have horns measuring 20–30 cm long and rounded in cross section.
The Rocky Mountain goat is distributed in western North America. A typical mountain animal, it inhabits remote mountain crags above the timberline. The animal feeds on grasses and lichens and lives in small groups. Mating occurs in November and December, and the female produces one and, sometimes, two kids in May or June. Rarely found today, the Rocky Mountain goat has become a protected species.
REFERENCE
Zhizn’ zhivotnykh, vol. 6. Moscow, 1971.Want to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit the webmaster's page for free fun content.
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