Capra hircus, also known as the domestic goat or simply called ‘Goat,’ is a very popular mammal that has achieved a wide ecological spread and is arguably the most common goat breed.
The first place most kids outside the African continent first encounter this friendly and curious creature, is mostly on their first trip to a petting zoo.
A primary reason why kids love the domestic goat is it’s eager eating habits these furry animals accept whatever type of food visitors offer them.
Scientific classification
- 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
Domestication and history
The domestic goat was first domesticated many centuries ago in Western Asia and has achieved a fast spread around the world since then to almost every area of the world.
Since the time of its first domestication to date, the Capra hircus has been called its most common name, the goat. Later in 1758, the goat was later given a Latin name, Capra hircus, by Mr. Carl Linnaeus.
The domestic goat may be very common and famous, but it varies dramatically in size by breed. They have a weight that ranges from 9-113 kilograms and a height of between 26-107 centimeters.
The average weight of a domestic goat is 45 kilograms, while the average height is 64 centimeters tall. The domestic goat also comes in a variety of colors and color combinations.
They display coats of red, white, black, and brown or a lovely combo of some of these colors. Even though they come in a wide range of sizes and colors, all breeds of the domestic goats share some features in common, like a long, flat tail and a prominent pair of long, pointed ears.
Male domestic goats have long chin beards and are usually more massive than the females. All male domestic goats have horns that serve as their primary means defense.
The horns of the goat increase in length and weight as they grow older, but in the domestic setting, the horns are cut off mostly as a safety precaution.
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