The sound of clattering rocks caught our attention, as we scanned the slopes of Idaho’s Boulder-White Cloud Mountains. Idaho had a notable earthquake earlier in the year, and aftershocks continue to shake the mountains. But my wife Jennifer pointed excitedly: Mountain goats.
The herd of white animals, large and small, trotted across a seemingly impossible rock face. Even though they’re sure-footed creatures, they kicked up plenty of rocks as they went, sending them careening down the slope. I recalled wildlife biologist Douglas Chadwick’s description of these animals, calling them, “beasts the color of winter.” Indeed, their white coloration stands out on the summer’s slopes.
It’s always a treat to see mountain goats. And indeed, they’re unusual creatures: not true goats at all and found only in North American mountains.
They are part of a group of animals some call “goat antelopes,” species that bear superficial resemblance to both. While many North Americans have a familiarity with mountain goats (even though they are often confused with bighorn sheep), the other goat antelopes may be among the most unfamiliar large mammals on earth. Do you know the serow? The goral?
While goat antelopes can be found close to highly populated areas like Europe, Japan and Taiwan, most North Americans have never seen one. They are rarely exhibited in zoos or even natural history museums. They are not the subject of nature documentaries. Due to the mountainous terrain they prefer, they are not creatures easily viewed from safari vehicles. In fact, much about their taxonomy and evolution remains in doubt.
About that doubt: let’s first address the imperfect label of “goat antelope.” These animals are all bovids, a mammal family that includes true goats, sheep, oxen and antelopes. These animals are fairly familiar, but some bovids don’t fit neat classifications. The goat antelopes are placed by some as their own bovid tribe, the Rupicaprini.
This is contested, though. Evolutionary relationships of mountain mammals can be difficult to determine due to the poor fossil records in high-altitude environs. Taxonomy of the goat antelopes is constantly being revised; new species classifications appear frequently, with the most recent published this June.
But don’t get bogged down in taxonomic debates. Enjoy these creatures for what they are. A frequent theme on Cool Green Science is that we don’t know as much as we think. There are still mysteries out there. And this includes even large mammals. Enjoy these weird, fascinating and, yes, cute creatures of the high mountains.
Meet the Goat Antelopes: Strange, Large Mammals of the Mountains
The herd of white animals, large and small, trotted across a seemingly impossible rock face. Even though they’re sure-footed creatures, they kicked up plenty of rocks as they went, sending them careening down the slope. I recalled wildlife biologist Douglas Chadwick’s description of these animals, calling them, “beasts the color of winter.” Indeed, their white coloration stands out on the summer’s slopes.
It’s always a treat to see mountain goats. And indeed, they’re unusual creatures: not true goats at all and found only in North American mountains.
They are part of a group of animals some call “goat antelopes,” species that bear superficial resemblance to both. While many North Americans have a familiarity with mountain goats (even though they are often confused with bighorn sheep), the other goat antelopes may be among the most unfamiliar large mammals on earth. Do you know the serow? The goral?
While goat antelopes can be found close to highly populated areas like Europe, Japan and Taiwan, most North Americans have never seen one. They are rarely exhibited in zoos or even natural history museums. They are not the subject of nature documentaries. Due to the mountainous terrain they prefer, they are not creatures easily viewed from safari vehicles. In fact, much about their taxonomy and evolution remains in doubt.
About that doubt: let’s first address the imperfect label of “goat antelope.” These animals are all bovids, a mammal family that includes true goats, sheep, oxen and antelopes. These animals are fairly familiar, but some bovids don’t fit neat classifications. The goat antelopes are placed by some as their own bovid tribe, the Rupicaprini.
This is contested, though. Evolutionary relationships of mountain mammals can be difficult to determine due to the poor fossil records in high-altitude environs. Taxonomy of the goat antelopes is constantly being revised; new species classifications appear frequently, with the most recent published this June.
But don’t get bogged down in taxonomic debates. Enjoy these creatures for what they are. A frequent theme on Cool Green Science is that we don’t know as much as we think. There are still mysteries out there. And this includes even large mammals. Enjoy these weird, fascinating and, yes, cute creatures of the high mountains.
Meet the Goat Antelopes: Strange, Large Mammals of the Mountains