When and where does a snow goat sleep? Snow goat: description, habitat, interesting facts. Protected by rocks

The snow goat is a mountain animal from the bovid family, the only species of the genus of the same name. Systematically, snow goats are closest to mountain goats, but nevertheless do not belong to their genus. They are distinguished from real mountain goats by their unique appearance, by which this animal can be unmistakably identified.

Snow goat (Oreamnos americanus).

Snow goats are quite large in size: the height at the withers reaches 90-105 cm, and the weight is 85-135 kg. Their thick fur makes them appear even larger. Small horns give these animals a strong resemblance to a domestic goat, but at the same time they never reach such an impressive size as those of wild mountain goats. The horns of snow goats are smooth, without transverse ridges, and slightly curved. This species differs from its relatives in its somewhat square muzzle, massive neck and thick, strong legs. Their tail is short. Extraordinarily thick fur envelops the animal’s body with a kind of “fur coat”. In summer, the fur is relatively short and looks like tightly knitted velvet; by winter, the fur grows strongly and hangs with a thick fringe. The length of the coat is the same throughout the body and is only shorter on the lower part of the legs. In addition, on the chin the tuft of hair is slightly longer and resembles the “beard” of mountain goats. The color of these animals is white or slightly grayish all year round, and their hooves are black. Interestingly, the horns of snow goats change color! They are black in winter and gray in summer. Both sexes look the same, but males are slightly larger and denser.

Dense short hair envelops the body of this snow goat, the remains of unfaded winter fur are visible on the legs. On the eve of summer, the animal's black horns begin to turn grey.

Snow goats live exclusively in the Rocky Mountains of North America, rising to altitudes of up to 3000 m. Previously, their range covered the entire mountain system, but now they are forced into remote areas and protected areas. These animals lead sedentary image life and occupy relatively small areas. They live among bare rocks and patches of alpine meadows, never enter forests, and occasionally visit salt licks.

The behavior of this species is strikingly different from the lifestyle of mountain goats. Firstly, snow goats live alone or in small groups of 2-4 individuals and never form large herds. Secondly, females always occupy a dominant position, and males are subordinate to them. Thirdly, snow goats are relatively inactive. Unlike mountain goats, they avoid running and jumping quickly on rocks. But this does not mean that they are bad climbers. On the contrary, slowly climbing, they manage to climb incredible ledges. Despite their massive build, snow goats place their hooves on the smallest stones, balance over the deepest crevices, and often climb into a “climber’s dead end” - a ledge from which it is impossible to get off. In this case, they jump down from a height of 6-7 m, and if there is no stable platform below, then touching a small stone with their hooves, they push off and jump further. When jumping, animals can turn 60°. The character of snow goats is very calm and calm; they are not characterized by violent games and manifestations of feelings. They behave very friendly towards their relatives; a special kneeling pose helps them avoid conflicts, with which weak individuals demonstrate submission.

A snow goat climbs an almost vertical cliff.

Snow goats feeding various types cereals and sedges, ferns, branches and needles of low-growing shrubs, lichens, mosses, and in captivity they readily eat vegetables and fruits. In summer they graze at the very tops, in winter they descend to the subalpine zone.

The breeding season begins in November-December. Due to matriarchy, the mating behavior of snow goats is very unusual. During this period, males rub their horns against rocks and branches, leaving marks with scent glands located behind the horns. In addition, they sit on their hind legs and dig holes in the ground with their front legs. When they see a female, they follow her with their tongue hanging out on half-bent legs, demonstrating humility. Then they perform a ritual blow to the side with their horns, but if the female does not like the suitor, then she responds with the same blow and drives him away. When two males meet, they stand opposite each other and puff up their fur, trying to look more impressive. At the same time, they also arch their backs like cats. If the demonstration does not intimidate the enemy, then the males begin to circle in a symmetrical dance and strike each other in the side with their horns. As a rule, battles are bloodless, but occasionally there are fatal injuries. These animals are polygamous, a male can mate with several females, and sometimes a female has two partners.

A typical family group for snow goats: a male, a female and a grown-up kid.

Pregnancy lasts 6 months. Young animals appear in late May-early June. Females give birth standing, often to one calf. Newborn kids weighing about 3 kg are able to run and climb rocks within a few hours after birth. By the age of one month, they begin to try grass, but stay with their mother for up to a year. In the wild, snow goats live up to 12-15 years, and in captivity up to 16-20.

These animals have many enemies, but encounters with predators do not happen often, since they rarely wander into the high mountains in which snow goats live. In addition, goats have good eyesight and, noticing danger from afar, slowly leave, preventing them from getting close to the enemy. But even in the case of a direct attack, they sometimes manage to fight off the attacker with their horns. The main danger for them is pumas, since they climb rocks no worse than their victims, and young animals can be attacked by bald eagles. Other predators (bears, wolves, lynxes, wolverines) rarely attack snow goats, only if they go down to the edge of the forests. There are known cases when snow goats themselves attacked people or snow sheep living in the neighborhood in order to protect their areas.

A breed that originated among the mountain peaks. It belongs to the bovid species and is its only representative. Domesticated snow goats have a lot in common with wild mountain goats, but still belong to different types. Special research does not need to be carried out to distinguish between these two types; all differences are clearly visible with the naked eye.

To unfavorable weather conditions Snow goats are used to it and tolerate it quite easily, no worse than wild animals. Extremely low temperatures are not scary for the goat; it is able to survive even 50-degree frosts, even with strong winds. Such good thermal insulation is provided by durable and thick wool, which resembles a large fur coat, and in addition there is also a medium-sized beard.

Snow goats can easily climb even the steepest and most dangerous slopes; they provide excellent traction with the rock. special form hooves Firstly, they are very strong, and secondly, the split on the hoof allows them to expand and contract depending on need. This shape of the hooves allows you to walk on almost any terrain with a slope of no more than 60 degrees. Snow goats move very slowly, stepping heavily from foot to foot; with such a slow, but confident step, goats can go around any peaks. But if goats are in danger, they immediately become more active and can gain quite a lot of speed in a short period of time.

Because of his heavy weight Snow goats jump very rarely, because it is very difficult for them. When the herd goes down, jumping becomes much easier, so in order to quickly descend from the mountain, the goats begin to jump from one ledge to another, the distance between which can be 7 meters. If there is no stable ledge nearby, then the goat immediately orients itself and jumps onto a more stable cobblestone, while it can twist in the air almost 180 degrees.

Snow goats are of the heavy type, the largest individuals reach 95-105 cm at the withers and weigh more than 120 kg. Visually, goats of this breed seem very huge, but you need to know that they have large and lush wool, which adds a few extra tens of kilograms. Despite such large sizes, goats have small horns, and this is the main difference between the domestic breed and the mountain breed of goats. The horns of the domestic breed are not only smaller, but also have a slightly different shape - curved and smooth. The weight of Snow goats is slightly less than their mountain relatives, this is also one of obvious differences. The muzzle of a goat is shaped like a square with round tails, the neck is wide and muscular. The tail is very short, almost invisible. In winter, the wool is very thick, durable and covers almost the entire body, and in summer it becomes shorter and sparser, which looks like velvet. Most of the body is covered with long hair, only the limbs are covered with shorter hair. There is a tuft of long hair on the muzzle that looks like a beard.

The snow goat breed is very beautiful, it’s not for nothing that they were given such a name. All year round, the fur is snow-white and sparkling, the hooves and horns are black. The color of the horns has its own specifics: in the cold season they are painted black, and closer to summer they begin to lighten and gradually change their color to gray. This applies to both bucks and goats.

The Snow goat breed is not common; it can only be seen on the mountain slopes of North America. In search of food, animals can go to peaks up to 3000 m. Once upon a time, snow goats inhabited all territories of North America, but over time they began to be pushed out of their established places, so they had to migrate to more distant and quiet places.

Interesting facts about the snow goat breed:

• Goats move only in mountainous areas; it is impossible to meet goats of this breed in the forest or in the middle of a field, but sometimes the animals enter the salt licks.
• Goats have a matriarchal herd structure, that is, the leader is not the male, but the female.

In general, there is no such thing as a herd in Snow goats; they gather in groups of 2-4 individuals, who establish close connections with each other or lead a solitary life. This indicates that most males become accustomed to one or two females and mate only with them.

Snow goats can be considered fearless animals; they are not afraid of heights or the lack of stable ledges and cobblestones. Sometimes the ledges are so small that they are practically invisible, but the goats manage to move confidently along them. Goats go down much faster due to jumps that can reach up to 7 m in length. When goats jump from stone to stone, they seem very light and almost weightless, despite their impressive weight. The rest of the time, goats practically do not play at all, do not run, and generally behave very quietly and calmly. They are completely non-conflict, and if a fight happens with another animal, the goat does not use its horns, but dodges the attacker. The unusual design of the knees allows you to perform such pirouettes.

Snow goats feed on all the vegetation that can be found in mountainous areas: shrubs, grasses, moss, tree branches, wild cereal plants. Goats that live in reserves are very fond of various vegetables and fruits.

At first winter months The breeding season begins. To attract the attention of the female, goats spread a special liquid, which has a specific smell and carries some information about the owner. The gland that produces this liquid is located behind the horns, so the goat rubs its horns against trees and rocks, leaving its scent on them, so that the more females know about the male. If the male has already found a female, then he must carry out a number of other actions: he sits on his hind limbs, and with his front limbs begins to dig a hole in the soil, then sticks out his tongue and walks after the female on his limbs bent at the knees. All these actions are aimed at showing humility in front of the female, so that she chooses him as her partner. After all this, the male hits the female in the side, if she responds in kind, then this means that they have approached each other. During this period, conflicts often arise between goats, the subject of which is the goat. At the same time, their fur stands on end, and their back bends, like that of a cat, which gives off a terrifying appearance. If the fight does not end there, then it turns into a kind of dance, the meaning of which is for each other’s horns to be crossed and in this position they can spin for quite a long time. Tragic cases are very rare, most contractions are safe.

Snow goats are not particularly fertile; in one lambing they produce only one kid, weighing 3 kg. Newborn kids immediately begin to move quickly and actively suck milk from their mother. At the age of 1 month, kids can already graze independently in an open environment along with all the other goats. The average lifespan of Snow goats is 12-15 years, and at home they can live up to 20 years.

The Snow Goat has enemies a large number of, but all of them pose danger only below on the ground, and few people reach those heights where goats graze. The real danger is the puma, which is also found on the tops of the mountains, but fortunately the goats have good eyesight, so they can escape in time. In extreme cases, Snow Goats can use their horns against an enemy.

IN old times people did not dare to attack such large and strong animals, but only collected wool from the mountain slopes, which they used to make warm clothes. Nowadays, people have practically driven goats out of their usual habitat, so their number has decreased significantly and the breed is on the verge of extinction. To preserve the Snow goat breed, experts create special reserves where animals can feel safe.

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 are not of 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.

The Snow Goat's hooves are the perfect device for climbing mountains. They do not slip, they are bifurcated and can be moved apart as needed, providing traction to the surface. All this is allowed to climb slopes up to 60 degrees.

Snow goats have incredible climbing abilities, walking on completely steep 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 mountain system, but in given time they were forced into remote areas and special protected areas. Snow goats lead a nomadic lifestyle, moving along bare rocks and patches of alpine meadows. They never enter forests, but sometimes visit salt licks.

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, leisurely 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 business card" In addition, they sit down on their hind legs and dig holes in the ground with their front hooves. The males follow the female they like with their tongues hanging out and their legs half-bent, thereby showing humility. After this, they perform a ritual blow to the female’s side, and if the female hits him back, it means she didn’t like the male. If two males meet, they stand opposite each other and bristle their fur. This way they try to look more impressive. And with all this, they still arch their backs like cats. If this pattern does not intimidate the male standing opposite, then they begin to spin in a symmetrical dance and hit each other in the side with their horns. Such battles are usually bloodless, but there are injuries that are incompatible with life. Snow goats are polygamous; it happens that males mate with two females, and they are also not very faithful friends.

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 chased 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 that animals shed during the 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 ruminant of the family Bovidae (order Artiodactyla). Surefooted relatives of the chamois, mountain goats cling to steep cliffs in habitats ranging from ocean shores to glaciated mountain tops. They are agile, methodical climbers, adapted to the insecure footing of snow-covered and icy cliffs, where predators are loath to follow. On these cliffs, they readily turn on their pursuers, including humans.

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.

To compensate for their narrow preference for cliffs, mountain goats eat a great variety of plants: grasses, herbs, foliage, twigs, lichens, and, in particular, alpine firs and other conifers. They may excavate these plants at the timberline from beneath deep snow. In summer when lactating or growing new coats of hair, mountain goats may reluctantly leave the security of their cliffs to supplement their nutrient intake with visits to mineral licks. Among other minerals, inorganic sulfur is used by the goat’s rumen flora to synthesize the rare amino acids cysteine ​​and methionine, which are essential to the goat’s hair growth at that time.

Mountain goats are unusual in that males readily defer to females. Females live in small bands but may become territorial in severe winters, while adult males are solitary. Courting males crawl to females and make sounds like those of baby goats. They mate in late November and December. After the mating season, females may drive the males off their wintering ranges. A single kid (rarely two) is born in late spring after about 180 days gestation and joins a nursery group within a week after birth. Adult female mountain goats are very protective mothers. In winter females with young may become territorial and lay claim to an area of ​​favorable cliff habitat. They then chase all other goats from their territories and readily attack hesitating males. Females are more likely to fight than males.

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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Notes

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 rocky mountains North America There is a beautiful and graceful animal - the snow goat. Thick white fur, impressive size and extraordinary climbing talents make it a very interesting representative of the animal world.

Externally, the snow goat is similar to the domestic one. The body is slightly compressed laterally, 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.

In winter they are black, in summer they are gray. The hooves always remain black. The tail is short, sometimes almost invisible under the fur. Height at the withers is from 80 to 110 cm. Adult females weigh 60-90 kg, males - 95-130 kg. Thick fur helps these animals withstand icy winds 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 and grows longer in winter. It is shorter on the lower part of the legs. Tufts of this wool, left on bushes or stones after molting, were once collected by the Indians - they made clothes that were warm and pleasant to the touch.

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 a distance of 7-8 m and at the same time already in the air change the trajectory of movement up to 60°. An ideal eye allows them to accurately jump onto the smallest ledges in the rocks. If such a goat gets into a “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 touching the slope with its hooves for only a split second and pushing off from it again. And so on until you reach a relatively level place. Under natural conditions, 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”. The groups are dominated by females. Members of the herd treat each other friendly and calmly, rarely entering into conflicts. If a weak individual wants to avoid a fight with a relative, it takes a kneeling position. But in defending their territories from other species, these goats can be aggressive - they can attack bighorn sheep, and sometimes attack people.

They lead a nomadic lifestyle. They can stay on a pasture until the food runs out, after which they begin to look for something new. Snow goats move slowly and smoothly, which is why they seem sedentary, but this pace does not prevent them from climbing to a height of up to 3 thousand m. They are not prone to active and violent games. At night they sleep in small holes that they dig with their hooves.

Acute vision helps these animals spot predators from afar. In this case, they manage to escape, and if this is not possible, they defend themselves with the help of horns. Most often they are hunted by cougars. Baby 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. Snow goats often die due to avalanches.

What does it eat?

Snow goats eat almost all plants that they can find in the mountains: ferns, grass, wild cereals, moss and lichens, bark and young branches of trees and shrubs. When kept in captivity, they enjoy eating fruits and vegetables. In summer, they prefer to forage for food high in the mountains, away from predators.

In winter they move to the western and southern slopes of the mountains. If necessary, they use their hooves to dig out food from under the snow. 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 southeastern Alaska.

In Canada, they can be found in the south of the Yukon, British Columbia, and also in the province of Alberta. Although there has been almost no targeted hunting of these animals, they are endangered due to the fact that people are displacing them from their usual habitats. Now the animals are under state protection.

How does it reproduce

The mating season begins in November and may extend into December. At this time, males often fight: when they meet, they bristle their fur and arch their backs to appear larger, and also dig the ground with their hooves. If one of the opponents does not give up, the opponents begin to circle, trying to hit each other in the side with their horns. Most often the fight ends bloodlessly, but the sharp horns of a goat can sometimes inflict a mortal wound on an opponent.

Behind the horns of males there are glands that secrete an odorous secretion. To use it to attract the attention of females, 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 in communication, she can drive the goat away by hitting him in the side with her horns.