Mountain Goat
Oreamnos americanus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassMammalia (Mamífers)
- OrderArtiodactyla (Artiodàctils)
- FamilyBovidae (Bòvids)
- GenusOreamnos (Mountain Goats)
- SpeciesOreamnos americanus (Mountain Goat)
The mountain goat (Oreamnos americanus), also known as the Rocky Mountain goat, is a cloven-footed mammal that is endemic to the remote and rugged mountainous areas of western North America. A subalpine to truly alpine species, it is a sure-footed climber commonly seen on sheer rock faces, near-vertical cliffs and icy passages. Mountain goats generally avoid venturing down into lower elevations—except during seasonal food shortages or during particularly bad weather—as the extreme elevation of their habitat is the primary defense against predators such as black and brown bears, pumas and wolves. Despite its vernacular name and both genera being in the same subfamily (Caprinae), the mountain goat is not a member of Capra, the genus that includes all true goats (such as the wild goat (Capra aegagrus), from which the domestic goat is derived); rather, it is more closely allied with the other bovids known as "goat-antelopes", including the European chamois (Rupicapra), the gorals (Naemorhedus), the takins (Budorcas) and the serows (Capricornis), of Japan and eastern South Asia. Wikipedia →
20–30% of wildlife watchers report a Mountain Goat sighting in Yellowstone National Park, based on 148 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Yellowstone National Park
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Glacier National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Kenai Fjords National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Jasper National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | Banff National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 5 | Yellowstone National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Kluane National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 7 | Wrangell-St. Elias National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Great Bear Rainforest | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 9 | Rocky Mountain National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Olympic National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 11 | Grand Teton National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 12 | Denali National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Mountain Goat in Yellowstone National Park?
About 25% of wildlife watchers report a Mountain Goat sighting in Yellowstone National Park, based on 148 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Mountain Goat in Yellowstone National Park?
October has the highest sighting rate for Mountain Goat in Yellowstone National Park in our monthly data.