Animals migrate to lower regions or upper regions of mountains in search of food, breeding grounds or to avoid harsh weather. These migrations are called attitudinal migrations.
Some animals like the yak migrate to the lower plains to eat grass and when it gets too warm, climb to higher regions to eat mosses and lichens. This is because their dense fur makes it difficult for them to tolerate warm weather. Bears on the other hand do not migrate. They simply hibernate or sleep during the cold winter months.
Mountain goats stay above the tree line in summer to graze on alpine grasses and migrate to lower elevations in the winter. Similarly an attitudinal migration in birds involves seasonal movement of birds up and down elevations in search of food, breeding areas and to avoid winter.
While most animals retreat to lower elevations in the winter, the argali, also known as mountain sheep, do the opposite. They dislike the deep snow that collects in valleys during winter and migrate to higher elevations where strong winds clear the slopes of snow.
Picture Credit : Google
