Oreamnos americanus

They are highly agile climbers, often navigating near-vertical cliffs to forage on grasses, herbs, mosses, and lichens while avoiding predators. Typically gregarious outside the breeding season, they form loose herds of females and young, whereas mature males are more solitary.

Courtship and mating occur in late autumn. After a gestation of about six months, females give birth to one (occasionally two) kid(s) in spring or early summer; newborns are able to scramble steep terrain within hours of birth.

Adults stand about 1 m (3 ft) at the shoulder and weigh 50–100 kg (110–220 lb). Both sexes bear short, black, backward-curving horns, with males’ horns generally thicker and more robust.

Mountain goats evolved during the Pliocene and once ranged more broadly; today’s populations inhabit fragmented high-elevation ranges across the Rocky Mountains and Pacific Coast Ranges. Early European explorers called them “rock goats” for their cliff-dwelling habits.

Classified as Least Concern, populations remain stable overall, though some local herds are vulnerable to habitat disturbance, climate change, and human recreation. Management includes monitoring herd health and regulating mountain-area activities to minimize disturbance.