Goat

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to navigationJump to search
This article is about the domesticated species of goat. For other species, see
Capra (genus). For other uses, see Goat (disambiguation).
"Billy goat" redirects here. For other uses, see Billy goat (disambiguation).
Domestic goat
Temporal range: 0.01�0 Ma
Pre��OSDCPTJKPgN
v
Neolithic � Recent
Hausziege 04.jpg
A pygmy goat on a stump
Conservation status
Domesticated
Scientific classificatione
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Bovidae
Subfamily: Caprinae
Genus: Capra
Species: C. aegagrus
Subspecies: C. a. hircus
Trinomial name
Capra aegagrus hircus
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Synonyms
Capra hircus Linnaeus, 1758
Capra depressa Linnaeus, 1758
Capra mambrica Linnaeus, 1758
Capra reversa Linnaeus, 1758

The domestic goat or simply goat (Capra aegagrus hircus) is a subspecies of C.

aegagrus domesticated from the wild goat of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The
goat is a member of the animal family Bovidae and the subfamily Caprinae, meaning
it is closely related to the sheep. There are over 300 distinct breeds of goat.[1]
Goats are one of the oldest domesticated species of animal, and have been used for
milk, meat, fur and skins across much of the world.[2] Milk from goats is often
turned into goat cheese.

Female goats are referred to as does or nannies, intact males are called bucks or
billies and juvenile goats of both sexes are called kids. Castrated males are
called wethers. While the words hircine and caprine both refer to anything having a
goat-like quality, hircine is used most often to emphasize the distinct smell of
domestic goats.

In 2011, there were more than 924 million goats living in the world, according to
the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.[3]

Contents
1 Etymology
2 History
3 Anatomy and health
3.1 Horns
3.2 Digestion and lactation
3.3 Eyes
3.4 Beards
3.5 Tan
4 Reproduction
5 Diet
6 Behavior
7 Diseases
8 Life expectancy
9 Agriculture
9.1 Worldwide goat population statistics
9.2 Husbandry
9.3 Meat
9.4 Milk, butter and cheese
9.4.1 Nutrition
9.5 Fiber
9.6 Land clearing
9.7 Use for medical training
10 As pets
11 Breeds
12 Showing
13 Religion, mythology and folklore
14 Feral goats
15 See also
16 References
17 External links