Mammals · Artiodactyla · Bovidae

Goat

Capra hircus

Not Evaluated

It has not yet been assessed against the IUCN criteria. See full glossary

The domestic goat descends from the bezoar goat (Capra aegagrus) and was domesticated some 10,000 years ago in the Zagros Mountains. It is the most versatile ruminant in livestock farming: it withstands heat, drought and poor grazing, browses shrubs that other animals refuse, and climbs ground that not even a sheep can reach. That is why it is fundamental to the economy of arid parts of Africa and Asia. That same capacity makes it a threat when it goes feral on islands, where it strips out the native vegetation.

Weight

20 kg – 140 kg

Size

1.1 m – 1.7 m

Lifespan

15 years

Diet

Herbivore

Feeds mainly on plants.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Herd

Lives in large groups as a strategy against predators.

Sighting difficulty

Unknown

DesertMountainGrasslandHerbivore Diurnal In herds Desert Mountain Grassland Mammal

86same family

Fun facts

In south-western Morocco it climbs into the branches of argan trees, up to eight metres off the ground, to eat their fruit.
Its rectangular pupil rotates to stay horizontal even when the goat lowers its head to graze, so that it never loses its panoramic view of the horizon.
It descends from the bezoar, Capra aegagrus, and its domestication had at least two centres: south-eastern Turkey about 10,500 years ago, and the southern Zagros Mountains and the Iranian plateau almost 10,000 years ago.
Today's goats retain six distinct maternal lineages, but the great majority of farm goats descend from only two of those events.
It truly climbs. In south-western Morocco it clambers up argan trees, as high as eight metres off the ground, to eat their fruit, and in the Alps it has been photographed on near-vertical dam walls licking the salt from the concrete.
Its ability to make use of woody scrub and steep terrain made it the animal of the places where cattle and sheep do not thrive, and that is why it accompanied the first farmers in their expansion.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Hills, scrub and livestock holdings, especially on arid and steep ground
Sexual maturity: 13.3 months
Gestation / incubation: 5.1 months
Litter / clutch size: 1.5 (average)
Lifespan in captivity: 18

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capra_aegagrus_hircus