The mountain goat (Oreamnos americanus), also called the Rocky Mountain goat, is a hoofed animal that lives only in the mountains of western North America. It lives in subalpine to alpine areas and climbs well with both feet. It is often seen on cliffs and ice. Even though its common name is “mountain goat” and both genera are in the same subfamily (Caprinae), the mountain goat is not a member of the genus Capra, which includes all other goats like the wild goat (Capra aegagrus), which is the ancestor of the domestic goat. It is more related to the takins (Budorcas) and the chamois (Rupicapra). Image by Wally Gobetz is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
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