Canyon goat (SciiFii)

The canyon goat (Oreamnos harringtoni), also known as the Harrington's mountain goat, the pygmy mountain goat, the Mojave goat, the desert rock goat, the Navajo Goat, and the Baja California goat, is a species of caprine that originally lived in the Southwest of North America during the Pleistocene epoch and was once extinct, but has since been brought back from extinction by SciiFii and reintroduced throughout modern southwestern United States and Mexico to help boost biodiversity. The canyon goat is a relative of the mountain goat, which was, for a while, the only surviving species in the genus Oreamnos, until the canyon goat's revival as a species. The canyon goat is slightly smaller than the mountain goats, and it has a longer, narrower face accompanied by thinner, smaller horns. The diet of the canyon goat primarily consists of both grasses and browsing of conifers such as spruce, Douglas fir, limber pine, and water birch, although the canyon goat can also obtain water from drought-tolerant plants such as cacti, allowing them to live in scrublands and deserts. The canyon goat living in the Grand Canyon often frequents caves during spring and late winter and early summer for protection from overheating and/or due to the scarcity of its food sources. During mating season, males will form harems of receptive females, and fight off challengers for the right to mate with the members of these harems. Gestation lasts for about 2 months, with females giving birth to 1-3 calves. at the age of 3 months, the calves are weened. While with their mother in the natal herd, the calves will play and frolic with other calves, and this includes male calves getting into play-fights with each other, which is a useful practice of a skill they will need later on in life.
 At the age of 6 months, the calves are mature enough to look after themselves, but they usually don't truly leave their mothers until they reach the age of 8 months. Like most other caprid species, canyon goats are gregarious, preferring to live in groups with other members of their own species. Herds typically average 1-2 dozen in higher altitude slopes, and in lowland areas, they can form congregations that number up to 5-6 dozen individuals. However, herd membership amongst canyon goats is not set for life, allowing individual goats to join new herds whenever they please. As with most other ungulates, they will feed alongside other herbivores, such as peccaries, horses, elk, camelids, mountain deer, shrub-ox, antilocaprids, mule deer, and bison. The conservation status of the canyon goat is Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts, the canyon goat's wide natural range and its tolerance to most of human activities, including being able to adapt to life in the cities and suburbs.
Category:Animals
Category:Species
Category:SciiFii