Jasper National Park provides crucial habitat for many creatures, including mountain goats, which are among of the most aggressive mammals, said Laval University graduate student Julien Richard.
Richard completed three years of research on mountain goats in the Trident range, which includes Marmot Basin, and shared his findings during the Aug. 22 Wild Jasper talk presented by Parks Canada. Richard carried out the study in partnership with Parks Canada and Marmot Basin.
The study鈥檚 goal was to figure out how many goats reside in the Trident range and why that habitat is important to them.
There are 鈥減robably around 40 [mountain goats] in the Trident range,鈥� said Richard.
Mountain goats live 鈥渆xclusively in the northwestern part of North America鈥� and about 2,500 live in Alberta.
Mountain goats aren鈥檛 technically goats, said Richard, some researchers say their closest genetic relative is the muskox.
In Jasper, male mountain goats have 鈥渟ome of the largest home ranges recorded for mountain goats, anywhere between 80 and 140 square kilometres.鈥� A home range is the area where an animal will spend 95 per cent of its life.
Regardless of where mountain goats live, steep terrain, also known as escape terrain, is always nearby. Escape terrain is any slope steeper than 40 degrees or 80 per cent grade, said Richard. It鈥檚 useful for escaping predators, which include grizzly bears, wolves, cougars, and even eagles who can scoop up small kids (baby mountain goats).
Most of the mountain goats in the Trident range are separated into two different nursery groups鈥擟ircus and Muhigan鈥攚hich contain all the adult females and their young.
When males are three or four years old, they leave their nursery group and join a bachelor group with the other adult males. 鈥淚 estimate that there is probably less than five adult males [in the Trident range].鈥�
Though the Circus and Muhigan nursery groups range next to each other, Richard said it appears that the groups never mix.
Aside from coastal mountain goats, the rest that reside in the interior use a mineral lick from mid-June to mid-July. The exact reason isn鈥檛 known, said Richard, but mountain goats frequent the lick close to the same time as the green up period in the alpine. 鈥淭he potential benefit is nutrient supplementation and mineral and osmotic balance of their body.鈥�
There are multiple hypotheses why adult male and female mountain goats remain in sex-segregated groups until the rut (mating season). Richard鈥檚 favourite theory is the activity budget hypothesis, which states that because males are larger than females, they need to forage more, therefore male and female eating and resting patterns don鈥檛 synchronize.
Females survive longer than males because males have a larger body mass and higher energy requirement to fulfill. They also spend a lot of time alone and in forested areas, making them more susceptible to predation.
Males invest much time in the rut and forget about foraging, and since the rut happens just before winter, males are vulnerable to harsh conditions. Mountain goats gain and lose 30 per cent of their weight each winter and summer.
It鈥檚 difficult to differentiate between male and female mountain goats. Even though males are 40 to 80 percent heavier than females, they鈥檙e only 10 per cent taller. 鈥淭he real way to do that is to look at the horns, especially the shape and base width of the horn,鈥� said Richard.
Females have straighter horns that hook at the ends, whereas males鈥� horns curve beginning at the base of the head. The base of the horn is also wider in males.
Mountain goats have many adaptions that contribute to their superb climbing technique. Their forelegs are strong, helping them to pull themselves up on rocks. 鈥淩egarding the shape of their body, their weight is distributed vertically rather than horizontally, so it鈥檚 easier for them to stand on small ledges.鈥�
Unlike other hooved animals, mountain goats use the entire surface area of their hooves. Their hoof texture is softer and similar to rough skin, which works just like climbing shoes, said Richard. That helps them get a good grip.
Richard is still interpreting data and will compile his findings in a final report. When asked about the mountain goat population鈥檚 overall health, he said that he recorded similar population estimates over the three years, so the mountain goat population in the Trident range is 鈥渞elatively stable.鈥�
Sarah Makowsky
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