Habitat of the snow goat. Goat breeds. Protected by rocks

Body length 124-178 cm, weight 56-81 kg. In the fourth year of life, males become 7.5-15 cm taller than females. The coat is thick, long, white, fluffy. Externally, the snow goat looks like an ordinary domestic goat. The length of the horns in males and females reaches 20-30 cm, the horns themselves are cross section have a round shape.

The snow goat is found in western North America. The main habitat in the USA is the mountain ranges of Idaho, Montana and southeastern Alaska, in Canada - the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, and the south of the Yukon Territory. The species was also distributed on the Olympic Peninsula, to the center of Alaska, as well as in Nevada, Colorado and Wyoming.

The snow goat is a mountain animal, lives in hard-to-reach places, above the forest line, and in summer it is often found at altitudes even above 3000 meters above sea level. It feeds on grasses and lichens and tolerates frosts down to −40°C. Keeps in small herds.

Mating occurs in November-December, birth - in May-June; more often one kid is born, less often two.

The species is protected. However, despite the relative small number, the threat of extinction due to the inaccessibility of habitat areas is low.

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Snow goats at the Moscow Zoo

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Excerpt characterizing the Snow Goat

- Natasha, what are you doing? Come here,” said the Countess.
Natasha came under the blessing, and the abbot advised to turn to God and his saint for help.
Immediately after the abbot left, Nashata took her friend’s hand and walked with her into the empty room.
- Sonya, right? will he be alive? - she said. – Sonya, how happy I am and how unhappy I am! Sonya, my dear, everything is as before. If only he were alive. He can’t... because, because... that... - And Natasha burst into tears.
- So! I knew it! Thank God,” said Sonya. - He will be alive!
Sonya was no less excited than her friend - both by her fear and grief, and by her personal thoughts that were not expressed to anyone. She, sobbing, kissed and consoled Natasha. “If only he were alive!” - she thought. After crying, talking and wiping away their tears, both friends approached Prince Andrei’s door. Natasha carefully opened the doors and looked into the room. Sonya stood next to her at the half-open door.
Prince Andrei lay high on three pillows. His pale face was calm, his eyes were closed, and you could see how he was breathing evenly.
- Oh, Natasha! – Sonya suddenly almost screamed, grabbing her cousin’s hand and retreating from the door.
- What? What? – Natasha asked.
“This is this, that, that...” said Sonya with a pale face and trembling lips.
Natasha quietly closed the door and went with Sonya to the window, not yet understanding what they were saying to her.
“Do you remember,” Sonya said with a frightened and solemn face, “do you remember when I looked for you in the mirror... In Otradnoye, at Christmas time... Do you remember what I saw?..
- Yes Yes! - Natasha said, opening her eyes wide, vaguely remembering that Sonya then said something about Prince Andrei, whom she saw lying down.
- Do you remember? – Sonya continued. “I saw it then and told everyone, both you and Dunyasha.” “I saw that he was lying on the bed,” she said, making a gesture with her hand with a raised finger at every detail, “and that he had closed his eyes, and that he was covered with a pink blanket, and that he had folded his hands,” Sonya said, making sure that as she described the details she saw now, that these same details she saw then. She didn’t see anything then, but said that she saw what came into her head; but what she came up with then seemed to her as valid as any other memory. What she said then, that he looked back at her and smiled and was covered with something red, she not only remembered, but was firmly convinced that even then she said and saw that he was covered with a pink, exactly pink, blanket, and that his eyes were closed.

In the mountains lives an amazingly beautiful animal that belongs to the bovid family. If you are lucky enough to see these beauties jumping from cliff to cliff, you will remember this spectacle for a lifetime. This miracle of nature is called a snow goat. After reading this article, you will learn many interesting facts from the life of these horned climbers.

Snow goat: description

Goats living among the rocks are extremely large: the height of adult individuals reaches 100-106 cm, with a weight of 90-140 kg. Males can be easily distinguished from females by their much larger size; otherwise, “boys” and “girls” are not much different in appearance.

This mountain goat resembles an ordinary domestic goat with its horns, which are no different large sizes. They are relatively small, smooth, slightly curved in shape. The antlers change color depending on the season. In the warm season they are gray, and in the cold winter they are black.

An elongated, medium-sized head rests on a powerful neck. The beard has a distinctive goatee. The limbs of mountain jumpers are extremely strong; thanks to such strong legs, goats can easily cope with the steepest and most dangerous ascents and descents. The hooves are black. The tail is so short that due to the lush fur it is almost invisible.

A distinctive feature of these animals is their amazingly beautiful fur coat. She is especially striking with her chic appearance in winter time. At this time, the white fur is especially thick, long, and hangs with a lush fringe.

Habitat

No heights or rocks are scary for an animal like a snow goat. It’s easy to guess where this brave creature of nature lives - in the mountains. Unfortunately, the population of these artiodactyls is decreasing. IN wildlife This snow-white mountain goat is found exclusively on the slopes of rocks North America. Horned climbers are capable of conquering peaks up to 3000 m.

IN old times Snow goats lived throughout North America. But over time, people, step by step, pushed them out of their homes. Animals had to go further and further in search of solitude and tranquility.

Wild Lifestyle

Snow goats are not herd animals. They can live alone or in small groups (3-4 individuals). They rarely conflict with each other; if an unwanted conflict brews, they take a kneeling position, which allows them to smooth out the situation. The character of these animals is calm. They are not very active and inactive, although they have to lead a nomadic life to get food.

When moving along the rocks, mountain white beauties do not like to rush, do not like to make sudden movements and jumps, unless necessary. Slowly, like real climbers, artiodactyls manage to rise to dizzying heights.

The large powerful body does not at all prevent goats from holding their hooves on small stones. If, having climbed a cliff, an animal sees that it will not be possible to get down, then it simply jumps down, even from a height of 7 meters. In such a jump, a snow goat can turn up to 60 degrees. If her hooves do not find a flat landing area, she simply pushes off with them and makes the next jump until she is confidently on her feet.

Diet

To feed themselves, snow goats occupy an area of ​​about 4.5 - 4.7 sq. km. In autumn they migrate to the southern and western slopes of the mountains. They don’t like to go down into the valleys; they look for slopes that have not yet been covered with a layer of snow.

Mountain animals graze in the morning and evening. If the moon illuminates the area well, the goats' meal continues after the sun has set. The menu includes all the vegetation available to them: grass, wild cereals, moss, shrubs, tree branches, lichens. Herbivorous beauties dig out moss and lichens from under the snow with their hooves. Bush branches, leaves and bark are gnawed off. In captivity, the favorite delicacy of snow goats is fruits and vegetables.

Mating season

Snow goats are polygamous animals; they do not differ in loyalty to each other. The mating season occurs during the cold season: November-December. At this time, males begin to mark their territory by spreading a special liquid. The specific smell of their marks informs females about the loving nature of the male. Behind the horns of a goat there is a gland that secretes this liquid, so it rubs its horns against rocks and trees, thereby leaving its unusual smell everywhere.

When meeting a female, a snow goat must earn her favor with unusual and even funny, if observed from the outside, movements. First, he sits on his hind legs, while digging a hole in the ground with his front legs. Then, sticking out his tongue, he walks on the heels of his chosen one on bent limbs, showing humility with all his appearance. This whole performance is played out so that the snow goat will reciprocate. After the horned suitor hits the female lightly in the side, and she does not do the same in response, it becomes clear that the couple took place by mutual consent.

Offspring

Within six months, a snow goat bears offspring. She always gives birth while standing, and in most cases one kid is born, which weighs about 3 kg.

Newborn babies are very active, from the first days of life they walk quickly and feed with appetite on their mother's milk. After 30-35 days of the milk diet, the goats begin to eat plant foods, graze with their mother and the rest of the group.

Snow goat: interesting facts

The lifestyle of snow goats is unusual, primarily due to the mountainous terrain where these amazing creatures live.

There are many interesting facts about white beauties:

• Snow goats are not afraid of even fifty-degree frosts with strong wind. In such extreme weather, animals are reliably protected by thick, lush, warm fur.
• The split on the hoof, depending on the situation and need, can narrow and expand. Thanks to this, the animal is able to move on any terrain with a slope of no more than 60 degrees.
• In a group of snow goats, matriarchy reigns: the leader is the female.
• It is impossible to see a snow goat in a forest or field; they live only in the mountains, and sometimes walk through salt licks.
• In ancient times, the Indians collected wool from the rocks, which snow goats shed during molting. Wool fabrics were made from goat down.

They are true experts in moving at high altitudes.

Snow goat (lat. Oreamnos americanus) is a massive, dense, artiodactyl animal from the bovid family. Its body length is 125-175 cm, and its height is from 90 to 105 cm, with males becoming 8-15 cm taller than females in the fourth year of life.

These animals have a slightly arched back line due to a voluminous mane and a rather powerful croup. The elongated head with small eyes is crowned with massive, backward-curved horns. Black in winter, they lighten significantly in the warm season, and along with their horns, their hooves change color.

Goats got their name due to their snow-white, long and thick hair, which especially stands out 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 of 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 USA and Canada, as well as on the islands of Kodiak and Baranova off Alaska. They live high in the mountains, where the forest line ends, and sometimes even climb above 3 thousand meters above sea level. Small herds of goats, consisting only of females with children or males, choose places that are inaccessible to other living creatures, rich in their natural food: herbs and lichens.

During the rutting season, which begins in November, males join the females. Moreover, there may be several assholes in the group who diligently pretend not to notice each other. If they do find themselves nearby, they stand sideways, wanting to better demonstrate their strength and power. At the same time, their fur stands on end, adding several extra centimeters of growth.

Fights among males are usually quick and bloodless. They first circle opposite each other, and then try to hit the enemy’s side or hind legs with their horns. It is extremely rare for such encounters to result in serious or even fatal injuries. The winner remains with the females and begins courtship.

It is possible that the expression “running on half-bent legs” came from snow goats, the males of which thus try to show the goats their complete humility and submission. True, to heighten the effect, they add a protruding tongue. When small goats are born in May-June, only the mother has to take care of them. Bighorn 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 steep ledges. By the way, snow goats move absolutely fearlessly over the abyss. Moreover, they are able to jump down 6-7 meters, landing on a barely noticeable, icy ledge.

If the goat starts to slip, it simply pushes off and jumps further. Such acrobatic stunts can be seen infrequently, since snow goats prefer to move slowly and carefully.

The walk through the Moscow Zoo was coming to an end. As on any of my visits here, I again saw a lot of new things and caught someone in the camera viewfinder who had until now safely eluded the lens aimed at him. But some kind of incompleteness remained, and I could not understand what it was until my feet themselves carried me to a patch near an open paddock in the form of a small artificial rock.

Well, of course - snow goats! Having photographed them again and again over a number of years, I apparently became so fed up with this subject that I gave myself and the animals a subconscious respite. I missed a meeting two or three times, but how many times is it possible? Moreover, changes occurred during this period. The zoo finally received a male that had been missing from the exhibit for a long time, and now the result of the acquisition was walking around the paddock - a white kid (I’ll call it that, although it’s not entirely correct).

In the phrase “snow goat” one hears something homely, cozy and at the same time romantic. However, the ungulate that bears this name is equally far from human habitation, from comfort, from romance, and from goats as such. In the scientific system of the world fauna, the closest relatives snow goat These are not wild goats at all, but gorals and chamois, together with which they form a group of so-called mountain antelopes. However, such incidents are not uncommon in scientific nomenclature, and here is the second example of this: wild sheep are just as far from the snow goat, however, its generic name Oreamnos literally translated from Greek means “mountain lamb”...

These “false lambs” have lived in Moscow since the very beginning of the 1990s. The first pair was donated to the zoo in the Russian capital for the 125th anniversary by the zoos of Helsinki and Vienna. Since then, exotic ungulates have taken root here well and have repeatedly produced offspring.

On a rubber sole

Snow goats are massive and dense short-necked animals. They move slowly, and from a distance they can easily be mistaken for peculiar polar bears that are not very tall: only 80-105 cm at the withers. By winter, the short white summer clothing of goats is replaced by a shaggy and thick yellowish coat with a thin and light undercoat, which allows the animals to withstand the most severe frosts. Especially long hair adorns the back of the head, withers, rump and hips.

The strong, muscular legs of goats are shod with large oval hooves with soft rubber-like soles - a device for climbing steep rocks. On the characteristically elongated, narrow white muzzle of a goat, the black nose and eyes stand out in contrast, located almost under the very horns - slightly curved, thin and very sharp. Their length reaches 25-30 cm, and they are equally developed in both males and females. In the lower third of the horns, transverse thickening rings are noticeable, the number of which, according to some zoologists, may indicate the age of the animal.

Vertical life

The snow goat is endemic to the Rocky Mountains of North America, meaning you won't find it anywhere else in the wild. The distribution area extends from southeastern Alaska and far western Canada to the states of Washington, Montana, Oregon and Idaho in the USA. In addition, a number of acclimatized bighorn goats live in the states of South Dakota and Colorado, as well as on the Baranova and Kodiak islands off the coast of Alaska.

Exclusively mountain animals, snow goats prefer to stay on steep rocky areas above the forest line. Only heavy snowfalls, covering all vegetation, force them to descend lower. These animals are incredibly adapted to their habitat: they easily walk along absolutely sheer rocks, leaning on barely noticeable ledges, cracks and cornices. At the same time, they move slowly, lazily, with a specific “snowgoat” gait - as if on stiff legs. They jump very rarely, except when there is danger and, as a rule, downwards, sometimes 6-7 meters at once. If there is nowhere to jump, then even in danger the snow goat does not run away like ordinary mountain goats, but simply leaves - still slowly, with dignity. But this is also an adaptation to the environment. What seems like slowness out of the blue turns out to be speed multiplied by caution in vertical living conditions. There is a known case when, in just 20 minutes, a goat “slowly” walked up a rocky wall for almost half a kilometer.

March for salt

Snow goats are most active in the early morning and late evening, often grazing throughout the night. Moreover, the distance they travel per day usually does not exceed several hundred meters. But furry climbers are ready to make many kilometers of treks to places where mineral salts emerge, which they lick with pleasure. Their diet includes grass, tree shoots, mosses and lichens. Moreover, goats get most of their water from food, so the problem of finding a watering hole is not the main one for them.

The level of sociality of snow goats varies throughout the year. In winter, as well as in spring, on salt licks they form large herds, but in summer they stay in small groups, although sometimes close to each other. Males and females with kids spend the main part of the year separately.

Kingdom of matriarchy

The snow goat rut takes place from late November to early January. Mating is preceded by a short ritual, when the male, with a desperate look, follows the female and, in order to attract her attention, delivers light blows to the back or thigh of the chosen one. However, if the goat doesn’t like the gentleman, she herself hits him in the side, not with her foot, but with her horns. And one has to accept this, since in snow goat communities, females completely dominate males, and outside the mating season, even young ones. In general, the hierarchy among these ungulates is established from an early age, even during children's games.

On the eve of the rut and during it, males claiming the right to cover females in the herd sort things out. To begin with, they try to intimidate each other: they arch their backs and raise their fur to appear larger. If the dispute is not resolved peacefully, weapons are used. Unlike most horned ungulates, snow goats do not butt, but hit each other on the body. Skirmishes are extremely brutal, with the rough skin on the sides serving as a shield. But if one of the opponents misses a blow and receives a deep wound in the thigh, chest or neck, this often causes his death.

Fearing predators, the female goes to give birth on the most inaccessible rocks. Kids are playful and cheerful creatures, they get to their feet 10 minutes after birth, and a few hours later they are already following their mother along the narrowest eaves. This is a school of survival, which not everyone manages to graduate from: about a fifth of the young animals die after falling off a cliff. The cubs feed on milk for 3-4 months, but remain with the mother until she herself drives them away immediately after the next birth.

Protected by rocks

The harsh habitat of snow goats is one of the reasons for their small number natural enemies. Moreover, they also try to attack either young or weakened individuals, well understanding the threat that sharp goat horns pose. More often than others, the cougar, which lives in the same altitudinal zone in the summer, succeeds in getting a goat. On spring transitions to salt licks, goats are pursued by bears and wolves. And bald eagles periodically scare baby goats, provoking them to take a fatal leap from a cliff. In general, snow goats can live up to 18 years.

Man has long hunted the snow goat for its meat and warm winter fur. However, due to the inaccessibility of its habitats, humans have impacted this species much less than any other ungulates in North America. Only recently, due to the construction of new roads in some places, the hunting pressure on goats has increased.

In principle, these animals are sensitive to disturbance, but at present the species is not in danger and has no special protection status. According to experts, approximately 100 thousand snow goats live in nature today.

In sad third place

By and large, mountain antelopes of the Rocky Mountains do well in captivity and, if provided with the appropriate conditions, are able to reproduce regularly. And yet you can’t see them in every zoo. There are two main reasons for this.

Firstly, in artificial conditions snow goats are extremely susceptible to helminthic diseases. If you barely keep track, you may lose a valuable animal. Zoos can overcome this situation in two ways. In some - for example, Moscow, in combination with the prophylactic administration of drugs, goats are kept on the most “sterile” substrate (stone, concrete, asphalt), trying to exclude any contact with the soil. Others believe that it is inappropriate to deprive pets of the opportunity to get caught on green grass, but they also carry out much more intensive anthelmintic prevention - such are the zoos of Berlin, Novosibirsk and Helsinki.

Problem number two is the aggressiveness of these ungulates, especially males. Harmless-looking snow goats, according to some reports, are third on the list of the most dangerous zoo animals, behind elephants and poisonous snakes. Contrary to their scientific name, these are not lambs at all. Not only does the natural system of hierarchy break down in the limited spaces of the pens, and the dominant, or the only, goat not only does not obey the goats of the group, but can also cripple any of them. The main thing is that the keepers themselves need to be constantly on the alert: although the animals are small, they are powerful; their smooth horns cannot hold them back when attacked, and the wounds from them can be terrible. When caring for mountain antelopes, it is not so much immobilizers that are needed, but top level professionalism and dedication to work. But even with them, not every zoo will find people willing to put themselves at risk by working with such serious creatures.

Snow goat (lat. Oreamnos americanus) is a breed of goats living in the mountains from the bovid family. The snow goat is the only representative of this family. They are very similar to mountain goats, but do not belong to this species. They are distinguishable from mountain goats by their appearance, by which this animal can be identified.

The Snow Goat's winter coat is such that it can withstand frosts down to -50 degrees Celsius with winds up to 150 kilometers per hour.

In addition, both female and male snow goats have a full beard, which is also not a problem.

Snow goats have incredible climbing ability, walking along completely sheer cliffs with barely noticeable ledges and cornices;

It seems completely incomprehensible how such large animals can stay there. They move slowly, lazily and very rarely jump.

Moreover, if Snow goats jump, it is usually downwards, sometimes 6-7 m, onto a barely noticeable, often icy ledge. If the area of ​​the ledge on which the goat has jumped is too small, it does not try to stay on it, but only pushes off from it and jumps to the next one, sometimes turning almost 180° in the air. When in danger, a snow goat can move at high speed.

Snow goats are very large: their height at the withers is 90-105 cm, weight 85-135 kg. Their lush fur makes them look even larger. The small horns give a close resemblance to domestic goats, but they do not reach the same size as mountain goats. Snow goats have horns that are different from others in their family: the horns are smooth and slightly curved. They are also distinguished by a slightly square muzzle, a strong neck and strong legs. Their tail is very short. Thick fur covers like a fur coat. By summer, their fur becomes much shorter and resembles velvet; In winter, the fur grows back and droops in a lush fringe. The coat is of the same length, and only below the knees it is somewhat shorter than on the body. On their beard they have a tuft of hair, as the common people call a “goatee,” 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: in winter they are black, and in summer they become gray. Snow goats and their stronger sex are practically indistinguishable in appearance, but the snow goat 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 approximately 3000 m. In the recent past, their territory occupied the entire

Snow goats are more reserved and modest, unlike their relatives - mountain goats. Firstly, they will never live in large herds; their groups consist of 2-4 individuals or live a solitary life. Secondly, the head of the herd is a female, and the males obey her.

Thirdly, Snow goats are sedentary. They move differently on mountain slopes, not like mountain goats: they avoid sudden movements and jumps. However, this does not mean that they are bad rock climbers. But that's just how it seems. They themselves slowly, slowly manage to climb the slopes, so high that mountain goats could not even dream of.

Despite their impressive physique, they manage to place their hooves on the smallest stones and climb onto ledges from which it is almost impossible to get off. If they cannot get down, 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 can turn up to 60° when jumping. Their character is very calm. This type of animal does not like to play violent games and does not show its feelings. They are friendly towards their relatives, and their unusual kneeling position helps goats avoid conflicts.

Snow goats feed on all kinds of grasses and sedges, ferns, branches and needles of low-growing shrubs, lichens, mosses, and in nature reserves they also readily eat vegetables and fruits. The season when they begin to produce offspring is in November-December. Behind the horns, in males, there are scent glands. Therefore, during the mating season, they rub their horns against rocks and branches, thereby leaving their

Pregnancy lasts 6 months. Females always give birth in a standing position and usually give birth to one young. Kids are born weighing about 3 kg, and after some time, after they are born, they run and jump. At the age of one month they begin to eat grass, but remain with their mother for a whole year. Snow goats live up to 12-15 years in the wild, and up to 16-20 in captivity.

These animals have plenty of enemies, but they rarely encounter predators on their way, because they do not rise to such mountain heights. Snow goats have very well developed eyesight, and if they notice an enemy from afar, they immediately leave. But it happens when, faced with an enemy, they fight off the enemy with their horns, thereby saving their lives. Their worst predator is the puma, which climbs rocks, just like snow goats. Young goats are pursued by bald eagles. There have been cases when snow goats themselves attacked people and sheep living nearby just to protect or recapture their territory.

The places where snow goats live are very difficult for people to access. Therefore, there was no big hunt for them. In the old days, the Indians walked and collected wool from the rocks, dropped by animals during seasonal molting

. The down of these animals was very popular and woolen fabrics were made from it. Now the territories where snow goats lived are occupied by people, as a result of which the species of these animals has become very rare and needs protection.
Mountain goats

(Oreamnos americanus) Mountain goat (Oreamnos americanus), also called Rocky Mountain goat, a stocky North American

Mountain goats belong to the goat antelope tribe, Rupicaprini, of the bovid family. Despite their unusual appearance and behavior, they are close relatives of sheep and true goats. Mountain goats occur from the Yukon and Alaska to Utah, but most are found in British Columbia. They have been successfully restored to their former abundance in some areas and have also been introduced to some areas where they were never native, including Kodiak Island, the Olympic Peninsula of Washington, the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, and the Black Hills of South Dakota. They occurred in early postglacial times on Vancouver Island but became extinct; recent restoration efforts failed. Mountain goat populations fluctuate and are sensitive to human impacts. Consequently, they are constantly being watched to ensure the timely application of corrective management.

Stocky climbers with muscular legs and broad hooves, mountain goats stand about 1 meter (39 inches) at the shoulder. Large males can weigh more than 120 kg (260 pounds), and females weigh about 60–90 kg (130–200 pounds). The hair is coarse, white, and shaggy over a thick, woolly underfur; a beard frames the slender muzzle. The sexes look alike and bear sharp, slightly backward-curving, black horns that are 5–25 cm (2–10 inches) long. Unlike true goats, mountain goats do not butt heads but instead stab each other with their horns.

Since the horns can cause severe injury, mountain goats are highly reluctant to fight. Nevertheless, males grow a very thick skin as a body armor against attacks by rivals or females.

Mountain goats are unusual in that males readily defer to females.