Greater Blackwell Goats

Basic Information

Anatomy

Blackwell Goats have thick shaggy speckled grey fur, long tails, and long white horns, 11"-15" in length. The fine, dense wool of their undercoats is covered by an outer layer of longer, hollow hairs. Mountain goats molt in the late spring by rubbing their overcoat off against jagged rocks. Their coats help them to withstand winter temperatures as low as −40 °F and winds of up to 100 mph. Their long tails, unusual in goats, help with balance on the rocky, sometimes icy slopes. Their feet are also well-designed, with inner pads providing traction and cloven hooves providing friction. Their powerful shoulder, neck, and leg muscles that help propel them up steep slopes.

Ecology and Habitats

Daily movements by goat herds are generally confined to areas around the same mountain face and drainage basin. These movements reflect an individual’s needs for foraging, resting, thermoregulation and security from predators. Seasonal movements reflect nutritional needs, reproductive needs (moving into the valley for safer birth and early childhood), and climatic influences (during especially harsh winters the goats will migrate into the valley, sometimes as far as the south-west flatlands).

Dietary Needs and Habits

Blackwell goats are herbivores and, because of their large size, spend most of their time grazing. Their diets include grasses, herbs, sedges, ferns, mosses, lichens, and twigs and leaves from the low-growing shrubs of their high-altitude habitat.

Scientific Name

Capra Edwinus Magnus

Lifespan

12-15 years

Average Height

5'1"-5'11"

Average Weight

650 lb-725 lb