OCR Text |
Show SPECIES OF THE MONTH How do mountain goats hang onto those precipitous ledges? Their hooves have sharp outer edges that dig in and grip. The under surface Shaggy, Rocky Mountain Goats Thrive in High, Steep Mountains By Pamela M. Poulson Manager of Environmental Education Red Butte Garden and Arboretum ven with dawn, the air remains white-opaque with cold, swirling snow. The constant howl is intensified in strong gusts, blowing icy snow sideways under the lip of a naked rocky ledge. Huddled tightly against the granite wall, a small band of female Rocky Mountain goats calmly waits out the storm, ruminating their last meals of mountain small mahogany leaves and orange rock lichens. This typical scene of mountain goat life plays out for yet another winter: tolerance of and adaptation to the harshest habitat of temperate latitudes. The billies are elsewhere, ignoring the females for most of the year. Two months ago, in October, the billies briefly swiped one another with their distinctive black horns: no sheep-like head butting for these regal mammals. They staked their claims on selected females by marking them and surrounding vegetation with a musky oil from their horn glands. Located sexes, just behind horn glands the horns are in both unique to Rocky Mountain goats May. One kid, or rarely two, will be born directly into the precarious habitat of cliffs and crags. Minutes later, the precocious kid will be nursing, standing, skittering and leaping from rock to rock as if oriented in the womb. The mountain goat’s remarkable climbing ability and sense of balis born with kid. Mountain goats well designed are for their habitat. Many-toed fects like those of mammals living in habi- Christmas Trees and Hi tats dominated by soil and thick vegetation, have been streamlined by evolution into slim legs, each with only two black-hoofed toes. This from 9 to 12 inches long. Lewis and Clark, who were the first Europeans to mention mountain goats (1805), noted the long goat hair and skins reduction of mass considerably ens leg weight, permitting a used in native clothing, in now Lemhi County, Idaho. seem lightmore slow and stiff, but when they need to move, they can move instantly and can span up to 12 feet in a single leap. This leg structure is a major characteristic of the bovine family (Bovidae) which in the Mountain West includes bighorn sheep and bison. Mountain goats are not really goats, but “goat-antelopes,” and are most closely related to the chamois of Eurasia. Boughs Handmade Custom Decorations Gift Certificates Stocking Stuffers Unique and Unusual Gift Ideas Goat, Oreamnos what Small bands were introduced near the mouth of Little Cottonwood Canyon and to Mount Timpanogos Wilderness Area nearly 20 years ago and are thriving today. @ GOAT §S americanus Also known as: Rocky Mountain Goat Total Length: 4 to 5 3/4 feet. Tail length: 3 1/4 to 8 inches. Shoulder height: 3 to 3 1/2 feet. Range and Distribution: Native habitat from southeastern Alaska to the Sawtooth National Forest of southern Idaho. Not documented as native to Utah. Introduced onto several mountain ranges in the Intermountain West, including Little Cottonwood Canyon and Mount Timpanogos, the San Juan Mountains of southern Colorado, and the Ruby Mountains of northeastern Nevada. Due to lack of predators in a non-native habitat, populations are kept in check by an annual mountain goat hunting season. Habitat: High mountain elevations. Steep and rocky, seemingly inhospitable places, Park City Nursery sé characterized “Welcome to the Holidays” by constant wind, extreme cold and deep snows. Food: Grasses, shrubs, mosses and lichens. Breeding: Sexually mature at two years. Breeding and birthing take place on precipitous mountain ledges. Mating occurs in November to January. Typically, a single kid is born in May or June, but births of twins and triplets have been recorded. af PAGE 4 is The Rocky Mountain goat was not technicaly recognized as a new species until 1816. L* cows, mountain goats’ digestive systems are specialized to include cud chewing. They break down plant cellulose with microorganisms in the digestive tract. This process occurs in large, four-chambered stomachs, Food is continually regurgitated and chewed until broken down enough to be passed on to the intestines. Take some time out this winter to watch ear own mountain goats. MOvUNTAIN Mountain Corner of Hwy. 224 and Bear Hollow Drive 9a.m. til 9p.m. daily through Christmas Eve 649-1363 ; rapid stride and high running speeds. Another adaptation for swiftness is the arrangement of the leg bones that permits movement forward and backward, but not sideways. This results in efficient, directed movement and faster motion, but also results in the typical stiff-legged gait of the Mountain Goat. They may Cut a ani- mals on this continent. In December mating occurred and the males departed. Birthing will come with the melting of snows in ance each Freshly among of the hooves are padded with large, rubber soles that provide traction on smooth rock. How do mountain goats keep warm? Their long, coarse white hair provides “layered” insulation over a thick woolly underfur. Both male and female adults have five inch beards. Their other identifying characteristic are sharp, hollow, slightly backward-pointing horns that measure |