Which is the bighorn sheep and which is the mountain goat?
Visitors to the Mount Evans Recreation Area often confuse the two animals. Each has distinct characteristics that set it apart from the other. Let’s take a moment to look at three of these contrasting qualities; appearance, winter activity and native range. One distinction between these two high elevation mammals is appearance. Mountain goats have shaggy white coats, black eyes, noses and horns. Bighorn sheep are brown, with white on their rump, belly, back legs and muzzle. Most sheep in the Mount Evans area are female like this one, or young males. Adult males, called rams, join the herd in November and December during mating season. Another difference between sheep and goats is related to their activity during winter. Winter in the alpine is long and intense! To handle arguably the harshest environment on earth, animals either adapt to the conditions; tolerate, save their energy; hibernate or leave the area; migrate. Mountain goats are slightly more adapted to winter and generally stay above timberline. Bighorn sheep on the other hand, usually migrate to a lower elevation. (In the winter, look for sheep along Interstate 70, between Idaho Springs and Georgetown.) Lastly, these magnificent animals have distinct native ranges. Mountain goats are not native to Colorado and were introduced to the Mount Evans Wilderness in 1961. Bighorn sheep, on the other hand, are native to Colorado. In fact, they’re the state mammal!