My Science School

Mountain wildlife

The mountains are home to many unusual animals —from small hares looking for food on the rocky slopes, to large birds circling the craggy peaks. These animals have adapted to make the most of the cold mountain weather.

This snow Leopard has a thick winter coat.

Snow leopards hunt in the lower mountain slopes, but in the winter they travel up the mountain to find more food. They need a thick winter coat to keep them warm. Mountain hares have a grey or block coat in summer but this turns white in winter to act as camouflage in the snow. Hares also have a thicker coat in the winter.

Mountain birds use the wind to help them to fly.

Strong Winds blow in the mountains. This golden eagle uses currents of air to fly. Eagles swoop down to pick up small mammals, such as rabbits and rodents. They have very good vision and can see prey up to three kilometres away! Other mountain birds, like the wall creeper, peck at any insects they can find in the rocky crags.

Mountain goats have special hoofs to grip the rocks.

Mountain goats can move along narrow ridges, trotting away from hungry hunters. Their soft hoof pads are surrounded by hard sharp edges which help them grasp the rocks of steep mountain slopes.

The mountain goat is the only living species in the genus Oreamnos. The name Oreamnos is derived from the Greek term oros (stem ore-) "mountain" (or, alternatively, oreas "mountain nymph") and the word amnos "lamb".

Picture Credit : Google