Dwarf goat

The wild ancestor of domesticated goats is the wild goat. It originates from Central Asia and it is still possible to observe them today in the mountains stretching from Greece to Pakistan.

Domesticated goats are animals that only live in captivity.

Goats are herbivorous ruminants and enjoy a wide range of food.

Just like cows or giraffes, they have 4 stomachs containing bacteria capable of fermenting cellulose, the main component of grass. After being chewed the first time, the food is sent into one of their stomachs to then be brought back to the mouth. It is then chewed and ground even more finely to allow for better digestion of the cellulose.

Goats tend to be polygynous; a dominant male mates with several females.

Gestation lasts 150 days and the young kids are weaned at about 3 months of age.

The goat is a social animal, living in groups. It can have behavior described as mischievous, even stubborn. Gifted with a certain cognitive ability, it can pose problems in captivity because it does not hesitate to open doors. But these animals are also capable of forming a strong bond with the human who cares for them.

Their field of vision is also adapted to their prey lifestyle. Their retina is oriented horizontally and has a rectangular shape; in this way, they can see far and wide. When they graze, their eyes can move in their sockets to allow them to see both the food on the ground and the horizon, to watch for the potential arrival of predators. Thanks to the placement of their eyes on the sides of their heads, their panoramic field of vision is 330 degrees.

Often the terms “race” and “species” are used without any distinction. In reality, they are very specific and do not mean the same thing. The term species is used to describe animals that result from natural selection. All wild animals are therefore species. Individuals of the same species can reproduce and have fertile offspring.

For example, the name wolf refers to a species. Each wolf population is adapted to its environment, and is therefore different from other populations. These are subspecies, but they remain fertile with each other.

The word “race” refers to animals resulting from artificial selection, carried out by humans starting from a species. Dog breeds were created from the wolf. Thus, they are the same species. Therefore, all dogs can reproduce with one another, as well as with wolves.

The pygmy goat breed originates from West Africa and Tibet. These goats are distinguished by their small size. Successive reproduction was carried out to select individuals of smaller size, better able to survive the harsh living conditions of these regions: scarce food, climates…

Upon arrival in Europe, these goats were crossed to obtain the breeds found today in many zoos and with private owners. They are raised for their skin, milk, or meat but are also highly valued as pets.