Goat Facts
Goat Facts
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| Interesting Goat Facts: |
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| Goat can reach 16 to 42 inches in height (at the shoulders) and 20 to 250 pounds of weight. |
| Goat can have short- or long-haired coat. Most species have guard hair on the surface and soft insulating hair close to the skin. Goats with long, lustrous coat are highly appreciated in textile industry (they are used as a source of silk-like fibers). |
| Goat has triangular eyes with prominent, horizontal pupils. Both males and females have beard, stout body, narrow horns, cloven hooves and short, upright tail. |
| Goat has excellent night vision and wide visual field (320 to 340 degrees) thanks to which it can detect predators without moving the head. |
| Goat is not a grazer. It is a browser that likes to eat various types of leaves and vines. |
| Goats are often used for the clearing of unwanted vegetation in many parts of the world (practice known as conservation grazing). |
| Most people believe that goats are not picky eaters, but they actually only test edibility of things that they never saw before. According to some stories, goats are even responsible for discovery of coffee. Shepherd in Ethiopia realized that his goats become more energized after consumption of the leaves of coffee bush and he decided to taste the leaves himself. Soon afterwards, coffee became inevitable part of human diet. |
| Goat is an agile climber (it can easily climb on the tree). It can also travel across the steep terrains and jump up to 5 feet in the air. |
| Goat is social animal that likes to spend time with other goats. Unlike sheep, goat is more independent-minded. |
| Goat is very intelligent and curious animal that likes to investigate unknown things and situations. |
| Goats communicate with each other via bleating. |
| Pregnancy in goats lasts 150 to 180 days and ends with one or two babies, called kids. |
| Baby is able to walk and follow its mother few minutes after birth. Mother and kid recognize each other via unique calls and smell. Kid is fully weaned at the age of 3 to 6 months (depending on the variety). |
| Goats reach sexual maturity at the age of 30 months. |
| Goat has an average lifespan of 15 to 18 years. |
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Related Links: Facts Animal Facts Animals Facts Goat vs. Sheep |