Animal Kingdom - Goats

A male goat is called a ‘Billy’ or a ‘Buck’. A female is called a ‘Nanny’ or a ‘Doe’.

Goats were one of the first animals to be tamed by humans. They can recognise their name and come when called.

They were first herded around 9,000 years ago. They prefer to stay in herds as they get lonely and depressed if kept alone.

In addition to being called a herd, the collective name for a group of goats can also be a trip or tribe.

Originally mountain animals, they are very good at climbing. They can also jump very high – up to 12 feet in a single jump! Goats have very sensitive lips. They use them to search for clean and tasty food, often rejecting hay that is dirty.

Goats have four stomachs! The food they consume moves into the rumen, to the reticulum, then to the omasum and finally, to the abamasum.

There are over 300 distinct breeds of goat.

Their pupils are rectangular. This gives them excellent vision around them without having to move. They also have very good night vision.

They are closely related to sheep although most goats have a beard and straight horns (even females). Unlike sheep, goats do not need shearing.

Each kid has a unique call (bleat) and scent. The mother will recognise her kid by its call and scent (not by sight).

The gestation period of a goat is five months. On average, goats give birth to 2.2 kids (babies) each year. They are able to breed at any time of the year.

Goat kids learn to stand within minutes of being born.

1. What three words are used to describe a group of goats? 2. What is a female goat called? 3. What is the fleshy thing on their neck called? 4. Goats have poor eyesight – true or false? 5. What is the term for the call of a goat? 6. How many stomachs does a goat have? 7. What can goats often be heard doing? 8. What is the main predator of the domestic goat? 9. In addition to edible items, what are goats used for? 10. Do goats need to be sheared?

The domestic dog is actually the main predator of domestic goats in many countries.

Goat meat is the most consumed meat per capita worldwide!

The average lifespan of a goat is between 15 and 18 years. Wolves and cougars are the two main predators of mountain goats but Grizzly bears have also been known to attack them.

Some goat kids are born with fleshy, dangly things on their neck. These are called wattles (or bells or skin tags).

Each kid has a unique call (bleat) and scent. The mother will recognise her kid by its call and scent (not by sight). They are known to burp and can frequently be heard doing so!

Golden eagles sometimes knock baby mountain goats from mountain ledges and then eat the injured/dead animals.

They are also widely used for milk, cheese, mohair and cashmere. A male goat is called a ‘Billy’ or a ‘Buck’. A female is called a ‘Nanny’ or a ‘Doe’.

No Mohair and cashmere, 10. Domestic dog, 9. Burping, 8. Four, 7. Bleat, 6. False, 5. Wattle, 4. Nanny or Doe, 3. Herd, trip, tribe, 2. : 1. ANSWERS