Pygmy goat

About This Project

Domesticated some 8 to 11,000 years ago, goats are farmed today all over the world: they can survive in places where grass is too sparse for other herbivores like sheep or cattle. There are numerous different breeds, varying in coat, size and weight (9 to 113 kg). They have a strong herd instinct and need to live in groups.

The ones you can see at La Barben zoo are pygmy goats, generally kept as pets due to their small size. They are very agile and it is fun to watch them taking big leaps from rock to rock! But take care, they can deliver a firm head butt if they feel threatened…

Latin name: Capra hircus
Class: Mammalia
Order: Cetartiodactyla
Family: Bovidae
Size: 40-50 cm tall at the shoulder
Weight: 12-30 kg
Lifespan: 14-15 years
Gestation: 5 months
Number of young: 1-2
Habitat: mountain/savannah?
Diet: herbivorous
Distribution: first domesticated in south-west Asia.
Conservation status:

Category
Mammalia