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Page: About Mountain Goats
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Mountain Goats
There are reported to be over 600 Mountain
Goats in Glacier Bay National Park. Hiking, sailing and cruising
during the Winter 2008/2009 season, we have been able to make some
fantastic pictures of these magnificent creatures in their heavy
luxurious winter fur. Our stay in Glacier Bay National Park for the
entire 2008 - 2009 winter season has afforded the opportunity to
explore a Park very seldom visited in the winter by anyone.
The Mountain Goat, standing in its bright white coat in sheer
contrast to the black cliff face is a true expert of
mountaineering. Sharp rimed hooves, surrounding a softer, almost
rubbery, inner sole allows these climbing pros to bound upon and
hug even the tinniest cliff edges.
Mountain Goats are an even-toed ungulate. While they are in the
same family as true goats, they belong to a different genus
(meaning they are genetically diverse). Male mountain goats,
called billies, stand on average 36 - 42 (90 cm - 105 cm) at
the shoulder, measure 48 - 68 (120 cm - 170 cm) long (from
nose to tail) and weigh between 100 lb - 300 lb (45 kg - 136
kg). Female mountain goats, called nannies, are usually 10% -
30% lighter and smaller than the billies.
Adult billies and nannies appear very similar visually. Both
billies and nannies grow horns, up to 9 (22 cm) long for
nannies and up to 12 (30 cm) long for billies, as well, both
grow beards, with the billies beards being longer, up to 5 (12
cm) in total length, than the nannies. These beards however, are
not true beards, but are an extension of the neck hair.
The horns, hooves, nose and eyes are black contrasting their
glamorous, bright yellowish-white fur. The coat of the Mountain
Goat is made up of two layers of hair. The outer hairs, being
hollow, provide excellent weather resistance as well as
capturing and glimmering in the sunlight. The inner coat is a
dense soft hair that provides the excellent insulation needed to
survive in their alpine home. The combination of inner- and
outer-coat keeps Mountain Goats warm in temperatures as low as
-50° F (-45° C) and in winds up to 100 mph (160 km/h). In the
spring, the billies are the first to shed the warm undercoat
with the pregnant nannies shedding later.
In May & June nannies give birth to a single kid, weighing only
6½ lbs (3 kg). Within hours the kid can walk and tries to run
and jump about. The nanny protects the kid from the hazards of
youth, standing over top of them when danger approaches and even
positioning themselves downhill from the kid in case of an
accidental slip or fall.
Usually active in the mornings and evenings, they can sometimes
be observed grazing during full moon. The Mountain Goats
individual daily movements tend to be constrained to a certain
area, rock face, cliff ledge or alpine meadow. It is as a group,
depending on food availability that they move to a new area.
Primarily seen in their alpine homes grazing on grass, shrubs
and sedges, they can be seen to descend down to the waters edge
during the winter months.
Mountain Goats perform grand displays of aggression when
defending their territories and grazing areas from other
mountain goats and even bighorn sheep, however, unlike the
bighorn sheep, they have fragile horns and skulls and very
rarely will get into a head-butting fight. Nannies are very
adept at protecting themselves and their kids from predators
using both their horns and sharp rimmed hooves.
Mountain Goat herds form loose groups, separating the nannies &
kids from the billies, relying on their keen eyesight and the
remoteness of their high alpine location for safety as they mill
about, climbing up and down rock faces, defying gravity as they
search for their favorite greens.
Other pages with extensive details
on our website:
Gray Wolf,
Tufted Puffin,
Steller Sea Lions,
Bald Eagle,
Mountain Goats,
Orca or Killer
Whales,
The Red Squirrel,
Humpback Whale
and
Grizzly Bear or Alaskan Brown bear |
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