Mountain goats occupy some of the most remote and harshest regions of the world.
They are, it’s important to note, a distinct genus from domestic goats, and are not just the same animal transplanted elsewhere.
Where, then, do these mysterious and under-studied animals actually live?
The short answer, then, is that the clue is in the name.
Mountain goats live high in the mountains, sometimes exceeding 13,000 feet.
The name itself is vernacular, but nonetheless is the accepted name for one specific genus of mountain-dwelling ungulate.
That said, they are actually not all that closely related to domestic goats.
Let’s look further into this.
Where are mountain goats most commonly found?
Mountain goats inhabit a number of different mountain ranges across the North American continent.
They are most abundant in two ranges in particular: the Rocky Mountains and the Cascade Range.
The Rocky Mountains is an enormous range, stretching from Canada to New Mexico, so it’s not surprising that there are many mountain goats here.
They are also found across Washington, Idaho, British Columbia, Alberta, even the southern Yukon.
They are an abundant and highly successful species, able to inhabit a wide range of environments.
The further north and further west you go, the more likely you are to find mountain goats.
We still have only limited, concrete data on their population numbers, though.
Our best estimates suggest there are a total of between 75,000 and 100,000 in the wild.
Of these, the western United States houses 14,000 to 15,000, and around 10,000 to 25,000 can be found in Alaska.
British Columbia has a population of mountain goats somewhere in the region of 50,000.
They are spread far and wide, then, with smaller numbers in other areas like Alberta and Yukon.
This is how they are spread geographically, then.
But where are the most commonly found in terms of their immediate environment?
Let’s find out.
What is the habitat of mountain goats?
The simple answer, as I mentioned, is mountains.
Because they are spread over such a diverse range of climates and biomes, different populations of mountain goats will live in different places.
They do typically live very high in the mountains, though, as high as 13,000 feet. In almost all cases, they will stay above the treeline for the majority of the year.
Some populations will migrate seasonally, both to higher and lower elevations.
They might migrate in the winter as all of their mineral licks become locked in ice.
These migrations can take them many kilometres through forested regions.
They are known to migrate as far down as sea level, too, if necessity calls for it.
During the warmer months, they will inhabit steep sloped areas, as this provides good protection from predators.
It is exceedingly difficult to hunt animals that can perch on sheer cliff faces as mountain goats can apparently do.
There is also very little competition in the high altitudes for the foods that mountain goats eat.
They will come down to valleys to forage and graze, drink, and get their mineral licks.
Mountain goats live in cold, but ultimately bounteous, areas.
Their unique ability to climb makes the environment perfect for them, providing all the food and protection they need.
You may be wondering, then, whether mountain goats live anywhere outside of North America.
After all, these kinds of high altitude, alpine environments are not unique to this region of the world—are they found in the European Alps?
Do mountain goats live in the Alps?
No, they do not—at least, strictly speaking.
There are many populations of goat in the Alps, even feral goats.
But these are, taxonomically speaking, no different from domestic goats.
The name Mountain goat does not just mean a goat that lives in the mountains.
It’s a specific subset of the caprinae family.
In terms of that specific animal, the mountain goat that we have so far been discussing, there are no natural populations anywhere in the Alps.
Mountain goats as we know them live only in North America, though, again, there are many species of mountain-dwelling, goat-like ungulates throughout Eurasia.
No doubt, they could likely survive there if there were introduced.
But they are doing just fine in North America for now.
Do mountain goats live in Alaska?
Yes, they do. There are many between 10,000 and 25,000 mountain goats in Alaska.
This may seem like a very wide range with a big margin for error.
The simple reason is that Alaska is extremely remote, and mountain goats often inhabit the most remote regions of it.
It’s very difficult to track them all, then, but they certainly are living there in large numbers.
This kind of environment is perfect for them, with limited predators and competition, and plenty of perennial vegetation for them to eat.
We may never be fully certain of the number of mountain goats in Alaska, but their populations certainly seem to be growing.
Mountain goats are still somewhat elusive, having only been originally documented in scientific literature in 1816.
They are the least studied large mammal on the continent.
Though we have certainly observed a lot about their habitats, behaviors, and other things, they remain a mystery in many ways.