Mountain goats are living hibernators. When the snow is twelve to fourteen inches deep, they move to rocky areas where they spend approximately fourteen months. They will browse if they can, but most of the time they live off of the energy they stored during the summer months. Mountain goats lose 40% of their body weight over the winter. They do not use any stored energy for parts of the body that are not necessary for survival, which is why their hooves and horns do not grow during the winter.

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