Goats are intelligent and curious. They enjoy a life of exploring and adventure. Goats share many similarities with other animals such as sheep and cows.
Animal Profile
Lifespan
Goats can live from 15 to 18 years.
Eyesight
Goats’ eyes have a horizontal rectangular pupil which stays horizontal to the ground at all times. This means they can see predators even when their head is down.
Teeth
Like cows and sheep, goats have a dental pad instead of top teeth which helps them rip at grass or other plants.
Stomach
A goat has four chambers in its stomach, perfect for digesting grass. They bring their food back up and chew on it some more to aid digestion.
Horns
Goats have horns on the top of their head, whereas a sheep has horns more to the sides of their head.
Goat history
Much like how dogs are descended from wolves, domestic goats are descended from wild goats. It is estimated that goats were domesticated over 10,000 years ago. They were one of the first animals to be domesticated.
Did you know?
A fainting (myotonic) goat doesn’t actually faint. When startled they remain conscious, but their muscles freeze up and they topple over. They will regain muscle control in a matter of seconds or minutes.
You’ve got to be kidding me
A baby goat is called a kid and when a mother gives birth it is called kidding.
Did you know?
Some goats are so good at climbing and balancing that they can even climb near-vertical cliffs and trees.
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