The snow goat is a high-altitude rock climber in North America. Snow Goat: Dangerous "Lamb Snow Goat"
In the rocky mountains of North America, there is a beautiful and graceful animal - the bighorn goat. Thick white coat, impressive size and extraordinary climbing talents make her very interesting representative animal world.
Outwardly, the snow goat is similar to a domestic one. The body is slightly compressed from the sides, the legs are muscular and strong. The neck is massive. The muzzle is square, with a pronounced "beard". The horns are relatively small, smooth, slightly curved and very sharp.
They are black in winter and gray in summer. The hooves are always black. The tail is short, sometimes almost invisible under the coat. The height at the withers is from 80 to 110 cm. Adult females weigh 60-90 kg, males - 95-130 kg. Thick wool helps these animals withstand icy wind and temperatures down to -50 °C. The color is most often white, but in some individuals it can be light gray.
In summer, the coat is softer and shorter, it grows back for the winter. It is shorter on the lower part of the legs. Bunches of this wool, left on bushes or stones after molting, were collected by the Indians at one time - warm and pleasant to the touch clothes were obtained from it.
Snow goats have an excellent sense of balance, allowing them to move along the narrowest mountain paths and climb up, leaning on tiny ledges. They can jump to a distance of 7-8 m and at the same time change the trajectory of movement up to 60 ° in the air. A perfect eye allows them to accurately jump to the smallest ledges in the rocks. If such a goat got into the "climber's dead end", that is, a platform from which it is impossible to get off, it simply jumps down to a height of 6-7 m.
If necessary, the animal makes a series of such jumps, between them only for a fraction of a second touching the slope with its hooves and again pushing off from it. And so on until it is on a relatively flat place. AT vivo snow goats live 12-15 years, in captivity - 16-20 years.
Character and lifestyle
Snow goats can live alone or in small herds of 2-4 individuals. Most often, adult males become "hermits". Groups are dominated by females. Members of the herd are friendly and calm to each other, rarely come into conflict. If a weak individual wants to avoid a fight with a relative, she takes a kneeling posture. But in protecting their territories from other species, these goats are aggressive - they can attack bighorn sheep, sometimes they attack people.
They lead a nomadic lifestyle. They can stay in the pasture until they run out of food, after which they begin to look for a new one. Snow goats move slowly and smoothly, which is why they seem inactive, but this pace does not prevent them from climbing to a height of up to 3 thousand meters. They are not prone to active and violent games. At night, they sleep in small depressions that they dig with their hooves.
Sharp eyesight helps these animals to notice predators from afar. In this case, they have time to leave, and if this is not possible, they defend themselves with the help of horns. Most often they are hunted by cougars. Goats are often kidnapped by eagles. Other natural enemies - wolverines, bears, wolves and lynxes - usually do not rise to the height at which goats live, and attack only when the latter approach the edge of the forest in the valleys. Often snow goats die due to avalanches.
What does it eat
Snow goats eat almost all plants that they can find in the mountains: ferns, grass, wild grasses, moss and lichens, bark and young branches of trees and shrubs. When kept in captivity, they eat fruits and vegetables with pleasure. In summer, they prefer to forage high in the mountains, away from predators.
In winter, they move to the western and southern slopes of the mountains. If necessary, they dig out food from under the snow with their hooves. They graze in the evening and in the morning, and if the weather is clear, then at night in the moonlight. Once a year they descend into the salt marshes.
Where does it live
The main habitats of the snow goat in the United States are the Olympic Peninsula and the mountains of the states of Montana, Oregon, Nevada, Colorado, Idaho, as well as southeast Alaska.
In Canada, they can be found in the south of the Yukon, in British Columbia, as well as in the province of Alberta. Although these animals have hardly been targeted hunting, they are under the threat of extinction due to the fact that people displace them from their usual habitats. Now the animals are under state protection.
How it breeds
The mating season begins in November, may capture December. At this time, males often fight: when they meet, they puff up their hair and arch their backs to appear larger, and also dig the ground with their hooves. If one of the opponents did not give up, the opponents begin to circle, trying to hit each other in the side with their horns. Most often, the duel ends bloodlessly, but the sharp horns of a goat can sometimes inflict a mortal wound on an opponent.
Behind the horns of males are glands that secrete an odorous secret. To attract the attention of females with it, goats rub their horns against trees and rocks. Since snow goats have a pronounced matriarchy, males show their humility and even “embarrassment” as courtship: they sit on the ground, digging small holes with their front hooves, and follow the females on half-bent legs, sticking out their tongues. If the goat does not want to engage, she can drive the goat away by hitting him in the side with her horns.
snow goat is a member of a small subfamily of goats and rams. These animals are found above the upper forest border, on rocky slopes and snow-covered peaks. Goats easily move along seemingly impregnable rocks with barely noticeable ledges and cornices.
Snow goats live alone or in small groups. Males are kept separate from females with kids. In winter, several groups of these ungulates unite into large herds. There are cases when a bighorn goat defended itself from a grizzly bear and defeated him. However, this rarely happens, more often goats that meet grizzlies on their way die.
The snow goat is a resident of high mountain regions, but it easily adapts to life in captivity. Breeders should protect animals from rain. The thick coat of a mountain goat is easily saturated with water, as a result, the animal can get pneumonia and die.
goats most years lead a sedentary life. When in danger, snow goats do not gallop, as other goats do, but slowly leave. In winter, all animals leave the upper belt of the Rocky Mountains, with the exception of snow goats. In warm sunny days these animals like to bask on small rock shelves. Before nightfall, they dig a shallow hole with their front hooves at the foot of the rocks in the hardened snow and spend the night in it.
Snow goats have few natural enemies. In winter, there are no other large mammals in their habitat areas, and the snow-white coat camouflages the goats well on the white snow. Sometimes bald eagles with the blows of their wings they try to throw the goat off the cliff. In summer, mountain goats are occasionally attacked by cougars. During the transitions to the valleys to the salt licks, they are attacked by grizzlies, baribals and wolves.
reproduction
The mating season of snow goats falls on November - early January. During the rut, the male finds a herd of females and joins it. Often in one herd there can be two males who keep some distance from each other. Excited male snow goats dog-like dig the ground with their front legs and throw mud on their belly and sides.
When meeting during the rut, the male snow goats stand side by side, their heads are directed in different directions, the males rise on their feet, arch their backs and ruffle their hair. If the female does not like the courtship of the male, then she beats him with horns under the ribs. If the female is favorable towards the male, then the animals mate. A goat brings one baby. A newborn weighs about 4 kg. Within half an hour he is on his feet. In September, lactation stops, but the kid stays with his mother until the start of the rut.
Snow goat (lat. Oreamnos americanus) - a massive, dense artiodactyl animal from the bovid family. The length of her body is 125-175 cm, and the height is from 90 to 105 cm, and males become 8-15 cm taller than females in the fourth year of life.
These animals have a slightly arched back line due to the voluminous mane and rather powerful croup. The elongated head with small eyes is crowned with massive, backward-curved horns. Black in winter, they lighten considerably in warm time years, and along with the horns change their color and hooves.
Goats got their name due to the snow-white long and thick hair, which is especially prominent on the back of the head, sacrum, upper legs and withers. Their undercoat is incredibly warm and soft.
Such a chic fur coat allows you to calmly endure the harsh winters in the Rocky Mountains. North America where these interesting animals live. In the distant past, when there were especially many goats, they gladly shared their warm clothes with people: the Indians collected faded wool and spun very valuable yarn from it.
Today, snow goats can be found in nature reserves in the United States and Canada, as well as on the islands of Kodiak and Baranova off Alaska. They live high in the mountains, where the line of forests ends, and sometimes even climb above 3 thousand meters above sea level. Small herds of goats, consisting of only females with children or males, choose places that are hard to reach for other living beings, rich in their natural food: grasses and lichens.
During the rutting season, which begins in November, the males join the females. Moreover, in the group there may be several goats who diligently pretend that they do not notice each other. If they are still nearby, they stand sideways, wanting to better demonstrate their strength and power. At the same time, their hair becomes on end, adding a few extra centimeters of growth.
Fights in males are usually fast and bloodless. They first circle opposite each other, and then try to strike with their horns on the side or hind legs of the enemy. It is extremely rare that such encounters end in serious or even fatal wounds. The winner stays with the females and proceeds to courtship.
It is possible that the expression "run on bent legs" came from snow goats, the males of which are thus trying to show the goats their complete humility and submission. True to this, for heightened effect, they add a protruding tongue. When little kids are born in May-June, only the mother has to take care of them. Bighorn goat fathers are unimportant.
Females usually have one baby, less often two. In just a few hours, he can already follow his mother everywhere, deftly jumping along sheer cornices. By the way, snow goats absolutely fearlessly move over the abyss. Moreover, they are able to jump down to 6-7 meters, landing on a barely noticeable, icy ledge.
If the goat starts to slide, it just pushes off and jumps on. Such acrobatics are not often seen, as snow goats prefer to move slowly and carefully.
Detachment - artiodactyls
Family - bovids
Genus/Species - Oreamnos americanus. snow goat
Basic data:
DIMENSIONS
Height at withers: 90-105 cm.
Length: 125-175 cm.
Horns length: up to 30 cm.
Weight: 45-135 kg.
BREEDING
Puberty: as a rule, from 2.5 years.
Mating period: November-January.
Pregnancy: 186 days.
Number of cubs: 1-2, most often 1.
LIFESTYLE
Habits: snow goats (see photo) keep in small herds; active mainly during the day.
Food: green parts of plants in summer, bark and branches in winter, mosses and lichens all year round.
Lifespan: males 14 years old, females up to 18 years old.
RELATED SPECIES
To the subfamily of goats and rams belongs, for example, chamois.
Snow goat in the Moscow Zoo. Video (00:02:31)
The snow goat is a member of a small subfamily of goats and rams. The snow goat easily moves along seemingly impregnable rocks with barely noticeable ledges and cornices.
WHAT DOES IT FEED
Snow goats graze in the morning and evening. If the night is moonlit, they feed after sunset. Snow goats graze on the mountain slopes. In addition to grass, they also eat the leaves of most green plants.
With the arrival of autumn, snow goats move to the southern and western slopes of the Rocky Mountains. They do not descend into the valleys, but graze on those slopes where there is no snow yet. Animals use their front hooves to dig out moss and lichens from under the snow. Snow goats gnaw the bark and branches of low bushes. In order to feed, this animal needs a plot of about 4.6 km 2.
Most of the time, snow goats live above the upper forest line. At the beginning of summer, they descend into the forest to salt licks. When food is scarce, mountain goats stay in their territory for a long time and vigorously defend food sources from their relatives.
LIFESTYLE
Snow goats usually keep in small herds. They are found above the upper forest line on rocky slopes and snow-covered peaks. In winter, several groups of these ungulates unite in large herds.
Goats lead most of the year sedentary life. They very dexterously walk along sheer cliffs with barely noticeable ledges and cornices. For them, walking along a narrow, ice-covered ledge and jumping down seven to eight meters is a common thing. In case of danger, snow goats do not go into the quarry, as other goats do, but slowly leave.
In winter, the upper belt of the Rocky Mountains is left by all animals, with the exception of snow goats. On warm sunny days, these animals like to bask on small rocky shelves. Before nightfall, they dig a shallow hole in the hardened snow with their front hooves at the foot of the rocks and spend the night in it. Snow goats have few natural enemies. In winter, there are no other large mammals in the areas inhabited by snow goats, and the snow-white coat camouflages the goats well on the white snow. Sometimes, with the blows of the wings, they try to throw the goats off the cliff. In summer, snow goats are occasionally attacked. During the transitions to the valleys to salt licks, snow goats are attacked by baribals, grizzlies and wolves.
BREEDING
The mating season of snow goats falls on November-early January. During the rut, the male finds a herd of females and joins it. Often in one herd there can be two males who keep some distance from each other. Excited male snow goats dog-like dig the ground with their front legs and throw mud on their belly and sides. When meeting during the rutting season, male snow goats become side by side, their heads are directed in different directions, the males arch their backs and raise their hair.
If this does not frighten the enemy, then the males begin to circle around each other and try to hit each other on the hind legs or sides. Since in snow goats the female is higher than the male on the hierarchical levels, during the rut the male approaches her in a special way. He runs after the female on half-bent legs, with his tongue hanging out, showing his humility and subordination. If the female does not like the courtship of the male, then she beats him under the ribs with her horns. If the female is favorable to the male, then the animals mate.
A goat gives birth to one kid. A newborn weighs about four kilograms. Within half an hour he is on his feet. The newborn hooves are soft, but gradually their edges harden, and then the kids dare to walk on the rocks. In September, lactation stops, but the kid stays with his mother until the start of the rut.
INTERESTING FACTS. DO YOU KNOW WHAT...
- There are cases when a bighorn goat defended itself from a grizzly and defeated him. However, this rarely happens, more often goats that have met grizzlies on their way and die.
- The snow goat is a resident of high mountain regions, but it easily adapts to life in captivity. Zookeepers should keep animals out of the rain. The thick coat of a mountain goat is easily saturated with water, as a result, the animal can get pneumonia.
CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF THE SNOW GOAT. DESCRIPTION
Horns: black in winter, gray in summer, slightly curved backwards, with shallow notches. The females have shorter horns.
Wool: thick and fluffy. The undercoat is light and thin. White color. The coat becomes shorter in summer. The length of the beard does not change throughout the year.
Young: He also has very small feet.
Hooves: sharp hard edges and a resilient surface are ideal for moving over rocks. Hooves are black in winter, gray in summer.
Legs: quite short and strong.
- Habitat of the snow goat
WHERE LIVES
The snow goat lives only in the Rocky Mountains of southeastern Alaska to the states of Oregon and Montana.
PRESERVATION
Previously, snow goats were threatened by hunters. Today the animals are protected. They have been acclimatized even in other parts of North America.
The snow goat is an animal living in the mountains from the bovid family. Moreover, she is the only representative of this family. They are very similar to mountain goats, but do not belong to this species. With mountain goats, they are distinguishable by their appearance, by which this animal can be identified.
Snow goats are very large: their height at the withers is 90-105 cm, weight 85-135 kg. Because of the lush coat, they look even bigger.
Small horns give great resemblance with domestic goats, however they do not reach the same size as mountain goats. Bighorn goats have horns that are different from others in their family: the horns are smooth and slightly curved. They also differ in a slightly square muzzle, strong neck and strong legs. Their tail is very short. Thick wool covers like a fur coat. By summer, their fur becomes much shorter and resembles velvet; in winter, the coat grows back and sags in a lush fringe. Wool - the same length, and only below the knees it is somewhat shorter than on the body. They have a tuft of wool on their beard, as the common people call the “goat beard”, which is very similar to the beard of mountain goats.
Snow goats are real beauties. Their fur is white almost all year round, and their hooves are black. The most beautiful thing about these animals is that the color of their horns changes: black in winter, and gray in summer. Snow goats and their stronger sex are almost indistinguishable in appearance, however, the Snowbuck is larger than the female.
Goats live only in the rocky mountains of North America, they live very high, they can climb mountains to a height of about 3000 m. In the recent past, their territory occupied the entire mountain system, but at this time they were forced out into remote areas and special protected areas. Snow goats lead a nomadic life, moving over bare rocks and patches of alpine meadows. They never enter the forests, but sometimes they visit salt licks.
Snow goats are more restrained and modest, unlike relatives - mountain goats. Firstly, they will never live in large herds, their groups are 2-4 individuals or live a solitary life. Secondly, the head of the herd is the female, and the males obey her. Thirdly, Snow goats are inactive. They move differently on the mountain slopes, not like mountain goats: they avoid sudden movements and jumps. However, this does not mean that they do not climb rocks well. But that's just how it seems. They themselves slowly, unhurriedly manage to climb the slopes, so high that mountain goats and did not dream.
Despite their impressive physique, they manage to put their hooves on the smallest stones and climb onto ledges from which it is almost impossible to get off. If they cannot get off, they jump from a height of 6-7 m, and if there is no flat ground below, then as soon as their hooves touch the ground or a small stone, they push off and jump further. Snow goats in a jump can turn up to 60 °. Their nature is very calm. This type of animal does not like to play violent games, and does not show its feelings. They are friendly to relatives, and an unusual kneeling posture helps goats get away from conflicts.
Snow goats feed on all kinds of grasses and sedges, ferns, twigs and needles of undersized shrubs, lichens, mosses, and in reserves they still willingly treat themselves to vegetables and fruits.
The season when they begin to produce offspring is in November-December. Behind the horns, in males, are odorous glands. Therefore, in mating season, they rub their horns against rocks and branches, thereby leaving their “ business card". In addition, they sit down on their hind legs and drip holes in the ground with their front hooves. For the female they like, the males walk on the heels with their tongue hanging out and half-bent legs, thus showing humility. After that, they carry out a ritual blow to the side of the female, and if the female hits him in response, it means that she did not like the male. If two males meet, they stand opposite each other and puff up their hair. Thus, they try to look more impressive. And with all this, they still arch their backs like cats. If this scheme did not intimidate the male standing opposite, then they begin to spin in a symmetrical dance and beat each other with their horns in the side. Such fights are usually bloodless, but there are injuries that are not compatible with life. Snow goats are polygamous, it happens that males mate with two females, and they are also not very good. faithful girlfriends.
Pregnancy lasts 6 months. Females always give birth in a standing position and usually give birth to one calf. Kids are born weighing about 3 kg, and after a while, after they were born, they run and jump. At the age of one month, they begin to use grass, but they are near their mother for a whole year. Snow goats live in nature up to 12-15 years, and in captivity up to 16-20.
These animals have plenty of enemies, but predators are extremely rare on their way, because they do not rise to such a height of the mountains. Snow goats have very well developed eyesight, and if they notice the enemy from afar, they immediately leave. But it happens when, when faced with an enemy, they fight off the enemy with their horns, thereby saving their lives. The most terrible predator for them is the cougar, which climbs the rocks, just like snow goats. Young kids are chased by bald eagles. There were cases when snow goats themselves attacked people and sheep living nearby only in order to protect or recapture their territory.