Oreamnos

Oreamnos is a small genus of hoofed mammals in the subfamily Caprinae of the family Bovidae. It comprises a single living species, Oreamnos americanus, commonly called the mountain goat. In some classifications, Oreamnos is treated as a monotypic genus with this sole species.

The mountain goat is native to North America's western mountains. Its range extends from Alaska and western Canada through the coastal and inland mountains of the western United States, including the Cascades, the Sierra Nevada, the Rocky Mountains, and nearby ranges. It favors rugged, rocky terrain at high elevations, often above the timberline, where escape from predators and access to lichen-rich forage is possible.

They have a thick, white coat with a woolly underlayer for insulation. Males, called billies, have large, backward-curving horns; females, called nannies, have shorter horns. Both sexes possess a beard and strong, cloven hooves with rough pads adapted for gripping steep cliffs.

Mountain goats are herbivores. They browse grasses, herbs, sedges, and forbs in summer, and lichens, woody plants, and mosses in winter when snow limits forage. They are highly agile climbers and can navigate near-vertical rock faces.

Social structure varies seasonally. In winter, groups may mix; in summer, females and their offspring form herds while older males are more solitary or form bachelor groups. Mating occurs in autumn; gestation lasts about 180 days, typically yielding a single kid, though twins occur occasionally. Kids are kept close for several months.

According to the IUCN, the mountain goat is listed as Least Concern due to a wide distribution and a stable population, though localized threats exist. Populations can be affected by habitat loss, climate change, and diseases transmitted from domestic sheep and goats. Some managed populations are subject to monitoring and management to reduce human-wildlife conflict and ensure habitat quality.