SHEER CRAGGY CLIFFS STRETCH

SKYWARD TO ROCKY PEAKS,

FORMING A HOME CARVED FROM

GRANITE.

THIS IS THEIR HABITAT, FOOD,

WATER, SHELTER AND SPACE.

FEW OTHER ANIMALS CAN MOVE

AROUND SO EASILY IN THESE

RUGGED ROCKY PEAKS.

IT'S THEIR KEY TO SURVIVAL,

BECAUSE HERE IN THIS DIFFICULT

TERRAIN, THEY CAN AVOID

COMPETITION FROM OTHER ANIMALS

THAT WOULD EAT THE SAME FOODS.

AND THE CLEAR VIEW FROM A

MOUNTAIN PEAK MAKES IT

DIFFICULT FOR A PREDATOR TO

SURPRISE A WILD GOAT.

THEY ALSO BLEND WELL WITH THIS

HABITAT.

FROM A DISTANCE, THEY APPEAR

TO BE A LARGE BOULDER OR SNOW

BANK MERGING WITH THEIR

SURROUNDINGS, UNTIL THEY MOVE,

THEY'RE DIFFICULT TO SEE.

THE MALES HORNS ARE MUCH

THICKER AT THE BASE AND SWEEP

UP INTO AN ARC.

THE FEMALES HORNS HAVE LESS

BULK AND HOOK ABOUT THREE

INCHES FROM THE END.

HORN AND HOOF ARE THE MOUNTAIN

GOATS SECURITY.

FEW ANIMALS HAVE THE DEXTERITY

TO CLIMB THE SHEER PRECARIOUS

FACE OF A MOUNTAIN.

THE CENTER OF A MOUNTAIN

GOAT'S HOOF IS VERY SOFT AND

SPONGY.

THESE PADS CAN GRIP THE

SURFACE OF ROCKS, WORKING

SOMEWHAT LIKE A SUCTION CUP.

IT MAKES IT LOOK EASY FOR THE

MOUNTAIN GOAT TO CLIMB NEARLY

STRAIGHT UP AND DOWN A PEAK.

THESE ADAPTATIONS MAKE IT

POSSIBLE FOR MOUNTAIN GOATS TO

LIVE ON THE ROOF OF THE WORLD.

IN ADDITION TO KEEPING THE

SPECIES RELATIVELY SAFE FROM

PREDATORS, IT ALSO ALLOWS THEM

TO LIVE IN A PLACE WHERE THEY

HAVE VERY LITTLE COMPETITION

FROM OTHER LARGE ANIMALS LIKE

ELK AND MOOSE.

THE WILD GOATS DON'T HAVE TO

SHARE THE LIMITED GRASSES AND

SHRUBS THAT GROW AT THESE HIGH

ELEVATIONS, AND THIS CAN BE

CRITICAL IN WINTER MONTHS.

ONCE THE SNOW BLANKETS THE

HIGH COUNTRY, THE DEER AND ELK

TRAVEL TO LOWER ELEVATIONS,

BUT THE MOUNTAIN GOAT STAYS,

SEEKING HABITAT TOO SEVERE FOR

THESE OTHER ANIMALS.

THE WILD GOATS LOOK FOR AREAS

THAT SHED SNOW, THEN FEED ON

WHATEVER'S AVAILABLE, SHRUBS,

GRASSES, FUR TREES, EVEN

LICHEN, IF NECESSARY.

A HARSH WINTER OR A POOR FOOD

SUPPLY CAN RESULT IN A HIGH

DEATH RATE FOR YOUNG ANIMALS.

DURING THIS TIME, GOATS TEND

TO GATHER IN SMALL GROUPS OF

THREE AND FOUR THAT STAY IN

ONE PLACE.

IT APPEARS THEY SURVIVE IN

THESE HARSH CONDITIONS BY

REMAINING RELATIVELY STILL AND

CONSERVING ENERGY RATHER THAN

LOOKING EXTENSIVELY FOR FOOD.

THE WORLD OF THE MOUNTAIN GOAT

SEEMS MAGICAL, PERCHED HIGH

ABOVE THE EARTH ON CRAGGY

CLIFFS OF THE NORTHERN ROCKY

MOUNTAINS.

IT'S A DIFFICULT PLACE TO

LIVE, BUT FOR THE MOUNTAIN

GOAT IT HAS EVERYTHING THE

ANIMAL REQUIRES - FOOD, WATER,

SHELTER AND SPACE (GOAT

BAYING) .

.

.

AND ONE INCREDIBLE VIEW.