CC BY-SA 4.0 · Michael Palmer · source
Quick Facts
- Type
- Mammal
- Size
- 45–100 cm at shoulder
- Weight
- 20–140 kg
- Habitat
- Mountain, grassland, and farmland; thrives in scrubland
- Diet
- Herbivore — shrubs, leaves, hay, grain
- Active Time
- Diurnal, active during the day
- Lifespan
- 15–18 years
Field Notes
- Goats were the first animals to be used for dairy production, predating cattle dairying.
- Goat kids can recognise their mother's call within hours of birth.
- The rectangular 'slit' pupil of a goat gives it a 320-degree field of view without moving its head.
About the Domestic Goat
Domestic goats (Capra hircus) were among the first livestock animals, domesticated from the wild bezoar ibex about 10,000 years ago in the Zagros Mountains of Iran. They are browsers rather than grazers, preferring shrubs, leaves, and bark over grass. Extraordinarily agile, they can climb steep rocky cliffs and even trees. Goats are kept worldwide for milk, meat, fibre (mohair, cashmere), and skin. Their rectangular pupils are a trait shared with octopuses and give them wide-angle vision for detecting predators.
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