Alpine Goat

ORDER: Artiodactyla

FAMILY: Bovidae

GENUS: Capra

SPECIES: hircus

DESCRIPTION:

Usually fawn-colored and black-bearded and often has no horns. Length head to tail 6 feet. Weight to 250 pounds. As in wild goats, the udder has only two nipples. Both sexes have two skin appendages at the throat, and the males have beards.

GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE AND HABITAT:

Originally bred in the Alpine regions of Switzerland.

DIET:

Goats are known for their ability to prosper on poor pasture. They are vegetarians that prefer browse to pasture. In addition to foliage they also eat mosses and lichens.

LIFE CYCLE/SOCIAL STRUCTURE:

The normal issue is two kids after a gestation period of 21-22 weeks. Goats are sexually mature as early as 6 months old. The normal life span is 8 to 12 years.

SPECIAL ADAPTATIONS:

They are agile climbers due in part to the hair which grows between their hooves and gives them traction on smooth surfaces.

INTERPRETIVE INFORMATION::

Goats were domesticated by man before 7500 BC. They have developed into animals that do well in areas where cows and sheep could not survive. Goats are raised mainly for their milk and meat. Goat milk has approximately the same water and protein content as cow's milk, but more fat and less lactose. Kids are valued for their skin, from which fine leather is made.

OUR ANIMALS:

1 Female.

STATUS IN THE WILD:

Not endangered. Maintained only in the domesticated state.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

1. Grizimek, Dr. Dr. h.c. Bernard , 1972. Grizimek’s Animal Life Encyclopedia, Volume 13 - Mammals. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. NYC, pp. 490-91.
2. Nowak, Ronald and Paradisio, John. 1983. Walker’s Mammals of the World, 4th Ed, Vol. II. Johns Hopkins University Press.
3. "Alpine Goat". 1975. Illustrated Wildlife Treasury. Leisure Books Ltd.