Capra (genus): Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Genus of mammals, the goats}}

: ''This article is about goats, the animals. For the web comic, see [[Goats (comic)]].''

{{Automatic taxobox

| fossil_range = {{Fossil range|2.58|0}} Early [[Pleistocene]] – [[Holocene|Present]]

| image = Козе изнад Ст.Леонарда, Јужни Тирол, Италија.jpg

| image_caption = ''Capra'', [[St. Leonhard in Passeier]], [[Italy]]

| taxon = Capra

| authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]]

| type_species = ''[[Goat|Capra hircus]]''

| type_species_authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]]

| subdivision_ranks = Species

| subdivision = See [[#Species and subspecies|text]].

| range_map = Capra range map2.jpg

| range_map_caption = Approximate range of the ''Capra'' species

}}

'''''Capra''''' is a [[genus]] of [[mammals]], the '''goats''', comprising ten [[species]], including the [[markhor]] and several species known as [[ibex]]es. The [[Goat|domestic goat]] (''Capra hircus'') is a [[domesticated]] [[species]] derived from the [[bezoar ibex]] (''Capra aegagrus aegagrus''). It is one of the oldest domesticated species of animal—according to archaeological evidence its earliest domestication occurred in Iran at 10,000 [[Radiocarbon calibration|calibrated]] calendar years ago.<ref>{{Cite journal|title=The Initial Domestication of Goats (Capra hircus) in the Zagros Mountains 10,000 Years Ago|url=https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.287.5461.2254|journal=Science|bibcode=2000Sci...287.2254Z|last1=Zeder|first1=Melinda A.|last2=Hesse|first2=Brian|year=2000|volume=287|issue=5461|pages=2254–7|doi=10.1126/science.287.5461.2254|pmid=10731145|access-date=June 30, 2022|archive-date=July 7, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220707013603/https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.287.5461.2254|url-status=live|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

{{Taxobox_begin | color = pink | name = Capra}}

{{Taxobox_image | image = [[Image:Billy goat.jpg|250px]] | caption =Adult male or buck goat}}

{{Taxobox_begin_placement | color = pink}}

{{Taxobox_regnum_entry | taxon = [[Animal]]ia}}

{{Taxobox_phylum_entry | taxon = [[Chordate|Chordata]]}}

{{Taxobox_classis_entry | taxon = [[Mammal]]ia}}

{{Taxobox_ordo_entry | taxon = [[Even-toed ungulate|Artiodactyla]]}}

{{Taxobox_familia_entry | taxon = [[Bovid|Bovidae]]}}

{{Taxobox_subfamilia_entry | taxon = [[Goat antelope|Caprinae]]}}

{{Taxobox_genus_entry | taxon = '''''Capra'''''}}<br/>{{Taxobox authority | author = [[Carolus Linnaeus|Linnaeus]] | date = 1758}}

{{Taxobox_end_placement}}

{{Taxobox_section_subdivision | color = pink | plural_taxon = Species}}

See [[Goat#Species and subspecies|Species and subspecies]]

{{Taxobox_end}}

Wild goats are animals of [[mountain]] habitats. They are very agile and hardy, able to climb on bare rock and survive on sparse vegetation. They can be distinguished from the genus ''[[Ovis]]'', which includes sheep, by the presence of scent glands close to the feet, in the groin, and in front of the eyes, and the absence of other facial glands, and by the presence of a beard in some specimens, and of hairless [[callus]]es on the knees of the forelegs.<ref name=Parrini2009>{{cite journal | author = Parrini, F. | year = 2009 | title = ''Capra ibex'' (Artiodactyla: Bovidae) | journal = Mammalian Species | volume = 830 | pages = 1–12 | doi = 10.1644/830.1|display-authors=etal| doi-access = free }}</ref>

A '''goat''' is an [[mammal]] in the [[genus]] '''''Capra''''', which consists of nine [[species]]: the [[Ibex]], the [[West Caucasian Tur]], the [[East Caucasian Tur]], the [[Markhor]], and the [[Wild Goat]].

==Taxonomy==

The animal most commonly known as a "goat" is the [[domestic goat]] (''Capra aegagrus hircus''), a [[domesticated]] [[subspecies]] of the [[Wild Goat]]. Goats are [[bovid]]s (members of the [[family]] [[Bovidae]]) and caprins (SubFamily [[Caprinae]]). Goats are [[ruminant]]s, meaning they chew cud. These animals have a four chambered stomach which plays a vital role in digesting, reguritating and re-digesting their food.

All members of the genus ''Capra'' are [[bovid]]s (members of the family Bovidae), and more specifically caprines (subfamily [[Caprinae]]). As such they are [[ruminant]]s, meaning they chew the cud, and have four-chambered stomachs which play a vital role in digesting, regurgitating, and redigesting their food.

A [[male]] goat is called a ''buck'' or ''billy'', and a [[female]] is called a ''doe'' or ''nanny''. Young goats are called ''kids''.

The genus has sometimes been taken to include ''[[Ovis]]'' (sheep) and ''Ammotragus'' ([[Barbary sheep]]),<ref>Ansell, W. F. H. 1972. Order Artiodactyla. Part 15. Pp. 1–84, in ''The mammals of Africa: An identification manual'' (J. Meester and H. W. Setzer, eds.) [issued 2 May 1972]. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C., not continuously paginated. (quoted in {{MSW3 Grubb|id=14200767}})</ref> but these are usually regarded as distinct genera, leaving ''Capra'' for ibexes. In this smaller genus, some authors have recognized only two species, the markhor on one side and all other forms included in one species on the other side.<ref>Haltenorth, T. 1963. Klassifikation der Säugetiere: Artiodactyla I. ''Handbuch der Zoologie'', '''8'''(32):1–167 (quoted in {{MSW3 Grubb|id=14200767}})</ref> Today, nine wild species are usually accepted to which is added the domestic goat:<ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2006.04.002 |title=Evolutionary history of the genus Capra (Mammalia, Artiodactyla): Discordance between mitochondrial DNA and Y-chromosome phylogenies |date=2006 |last1=Pidancier |first1=Nathalie |last2=Jordan |first2=Steve |last3=Luikart |first3=Gordon |last4=Taberlet |first4=Pierre |journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution |volume=40 |issue=3 |pages=739–749 |pmid=16757184 |bibcode=2006MolPE..40..739P }}</ref>

The [[Rocky Mountain Goat]], despite its name, is not considered a true goat by [[scientist]]s as it belongs to the genus ''[[Oreamnos]]''.

* [[Wild goat|West Asian ibex]] also known as the wild goat (''Capra aegagrus'')

** [[Bezoar ibex]] (''Capra aegagrus aegagrus'')

** [[Sindh ibex]] (''Capra aegagrus blythi'')

* [[Domestic goat]] (''Capra hircus''; includes [[feral goat]]; domesticated from ''C. aegagrus'' and sometimes considered a subspecies of it)

* [[Siberian ibex|Asian ibex]] also known as the Siberian ibex (''Capra sibirica'')<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Sarasa |first=M. |date=2023 |title=Common names of the Asiatic ibex superspecies at a turning point in its taxonomy and management |journal=Animal Biodiversity and Conservation |language=en |pages=79–86 |doi=10.32800/abc.2023.46.0079 |s2cid=257346317 |issn=2014-928X|doi-access=free }}</ref>

* [[Markhor]] (''Capra falconeri'')

* [[West Caucasian tur]] (''Capra caucasica'')

* [[East Caucasian tur]] (''Capra cylindricornis'')

* [[Alpine ibex]] (''Capra ibex'')

* [[Iberian ibex]] also known as the Spanish ibex (''Capra pyrenaica'')<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Sarasa |first1=Mathieu |last2=Alasaad |first2=Samer |last3=Pérez |first3=Jesús M. |date=2012 |title=Common names of species, the curious case of Capra pyrenaica and the concomitant steps towards the 'wild-to-domestic' transformation of a flagship species and its vernacular names |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-011-0172-3 |journal=Biodiversity and Conservation |language=en |volume=21 |issue=1 |pages=1–12 |doi=10.1007/s10531-011-0172-3 |bibcode=2012BiCon..21....1S |s2cid=254282784 |issn=1572-9710|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

* [[Nubian ibex]] (''Capra nubiana'')<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Mendelssohn |first1=Heinrich |title=Mammalia of Israel |last2=Yom-Tov |first2=Yoram |date=1999 |publisher=Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities |isbn=978-965-208-145-2 |series=Fauna Palaestina |___location=Jerusalem}}</ref>

* [[Walia ibex]] (''Capra walie'')

The [[goats]] of the genus ''Capra'' have complex systematic relationships, which are still not completely resolved. Recent studies based on [[mitochondrial DNA]] suggest that the Asian ibex and the Nubian ibex represent distinct species, which are not very closely related to the physically similar Alpine ibex. The Alpine ibex forms a group with the Iberian ibex. The West Caucasian tur appears to be more closely related to the wild goat than to the East Caucasian tur. The markhor is relatively little separated from other forms—previously it had been considered to be a separate branch of the genus.<ref>{{cite journal | url=https://doi.org/10.1134%2FS1022795407020135 | doi=10.1134/S1022795407020135 | title=Phylogenetic reconstructions in the genus Capra (Bovidae, Artiodactyla) based on the mitochondrial DNA analysis | date=2007 | last1=Kazanskaya | first1=E. Y. | last2=Kuznetsova | first2=M. V. | last3=Danilkin | first3=A. A. | journal=Russian Journal of Genetics | volume=43 | issue=2 | pages=181–189 | url-access=subscription }}</ref>

Goats are the ferret's worst enemy.

==Species and subspecies==

[[Image:Goat.jpg|thumb|right|Preferring woody and weedy species, goats select the young growing points first as they browse downward from the upper parts of a plant.<br>Photo by Scott Bauer for the USDA]]

The following [[cladogram]] of seven ''Capra'' species is based on 2022 mitochondrial evidence:<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Robin |first1=M. |last2=Ferrari |first2=G. |last3=Akgül |first3=G. |last4=Münger |first4=X. |last5=von Seth |first5=J. |last6=Schuenemann |first6=V. J. |last7=Dalén |first7=L. |last8=Grossen |first8=C. |year=2022 |title=Ancient mitochondrial and modern whole genomes unravel massive genetic diversity loss during near extinction of Alpine ibex |journal=Molecular Ecology |volume=31 |issue=13 |pages=3548–3565 |doi=10.1111/mec.16503 |pmid=35560856 |pmc=9328357 |bibcode=2022MolEc..31.3548R |doi-access=free}}</ref>

*''Capra aegagrus'' - [[wild goat]] (Bezoar Goat, Pasang)

**''Capra aegagrus hircus'' - [[domestic goat]]

**''Capra aegagrus creticus'' - [[kri-kri]] (Cretan goat, Agrimi, Cretan ibex)

*''Capra caucasia'' - [[West Caucasian tur]]

*''Capra cylindricornis'' - [[East Caucasian tur]]

*''Capra hircus'' - [[Cashmere goat]]

*''Capra falconeri'' - [[markhor]]

**''Capra falconeri heptneri'' - [[Bukharan markhor]]

**''Capra falconeri chialtanensis'' - [[Chialtan markhor]]

**''Capra falconeri megaceros'' - [[straight-horned markhor]]

**''Capra falconeri jerdoni'' - [[Suleman markhor]]

*''Capra ibex'' - [[alpine ibex]]

**''Capra ibex ibex''

**''Capra ibex nubiana'' - [[Nubian ibex]]¹

**''Capra ibex sibirica'' - [[Asiatic ibex]]²

*''Capra pyrenaica'' - [[Spanish ibex]]

**''Capra pyrenaica pyrenaica'' - [[Pyrenean Ibex]]&dagger;

**''Capra pyrenaica lusitanica'' - [[Portuguese Ibex]]&dagger;

*''Capra walie'' - [[Walia ibex]]

{{clade

¹ also ''Capra nubiana''<br>

² also |label1=''[[Capra sibirica(genus)|Capra]]''<br>

|1={{clade

|1=[[Siberian ibex]]

|2={{clade

|1=[[Nubian ibex]]

|2={{clade

|1=[[Markhor]]

|2={{clade

|1={{clade

|1=[[Goat|Domestic goat]]

|2=[[Bezoar ibex]]

}}

|2={{clade

|1='''Alpine ibex'''

|2=[[Iberian ibex]]

}}

}}

}}

}}

}}

}}

==Domestication and Uses==

: ''Main article: [[Domestic goat]]''

[[Image:Goat 1 at UK Zoo May 2005.JPG|thumb|250px|Young goat at a British zoo]]

Along with [[sheep]], goats were among the first [[domesticated animals]], the domestication process starting at least 10,000 years ago. Easy human access to goat [[hair]], [[meat]], and [[milk]] were the primary motivations. Goat [[skin]]s were popularly used until the [[Middle Ages]] for water and [[wine bottles]] when traveling and [[camping]] and as [[parchment]] for writing in certain regions.

Almost all wild goat species are [[allopatric]] (geographically separated)—the only geographical overlaps are the wild goat (''Capra aegagrus'') with the East Caucasian tur (''Capra cylindricornis''), and the markhor (''Capra falconeri'') with the Asian ibex (''Capra sibirica''). In both cases, the overlapping species do not usually interbreed in the wild, but in captivity, all ''Capra'' species can interbreed, producing fertile offspring.<ref>V. G. Heptner: ''Mammals of the Sowjetunion Vol. I UNGULATES''. Leiden, New York, 1989 {{ISBN|90-04-08874-1}}</ref>

The meat and milk of goats is still consumed, though not as commonly in the [[United States]] as in other regions of the world. However, goat milk has become more popular because it is easier to digest than cows milk. Many call goat's milk a universal milk, because it can be given to most mammals. In India goat's meat is often called 'mutton' or even 'lamb'. Goat skin is still used to make [[kid glove]]s and other items of [[clothing]]. Angora goats produce mohair, a fine soft lusterous fiber. Pygora goats produce a cashmere type fiber. [[Cashmere]] and [[Mohair]] that can be made into [[sweater]]s and other items.Some people keep goats as pets as well.

<gallery class=center mode=nolines widths="200px" heights="200px">

[[Image:Goat-Link-Angora-Buck.jpg|thumb|100px|Angora Goat Buck]]

File:Goats as weed control.jpg|Goats used for natural weed control

[[Image:Goat-Link-Angora-Doe.jpg|thumb|100px|Angora Goat Doe]]

File:Boisseau à décor de bouquetins, sloughis et échassiers - Musée du Louvre Antiquités orientales SB 3174 ; AS 12672.jpg|Prehistoric terracotta pottery from [[Susa]] depicting an [[ibex]], {{circa|4200–3500}} BC

[[Image:Goat-Link-Angora-Baby.jpg|thumb|100px|Angora Goat Baby (Kid)]]

File:Ibex in the French Vanoise National Park.JPG|Ibex securely climbing rocky slope

These are the goats that create the fiber used in high fashion garments.

File:Capra nubiana, Tierpark Hellabrunn – 03.jpg|Male Nubian ibex

File:Caprine heart.jpg|Caprine heart

</gallery>

==SimilaritySpecies toand Sheepsubspecies==

The goat is closely related to the [[sheep]], but differs from it in that the tail is shorter and the hollow horns are long and directed upward, backward, and outward while those of the sheep are [[spiral]]ly twisted. Like sheep, goats are [[herd]] animals and survive better in a herd situation than alone. A herd typically has a Herd Queen, who leads the herd while browsing. They are also much more lively than sheep and their inquisitive nature makes them curious [[pet]]s.

{{Species table |genus= Capra |authority-name=[[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]] |authority-year=[[10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]] |species-count=ten|no-note=y|narrow-percent=75}}

==Behavior==

{{Species table/row

Goats are extremely curious and intelligent. They are easily trained to pull carts, walk on leads and housebreak. They are also known for escaping their pens. If you have inferior fencing, be assured your goats will test it and soon you will know where the gaps are. Goats are very coordinated and can climb and hold their balance in the most precarious places. Goats are also widely known for their ability to climb trees, although the tree generally has to be on somewhat of an angle.

|name = Asian ibex, Siberian ibex |binomial=[[Capra sibirica]]

|image = File:Steinbock-P1150170.jpg|image-size=180px |image-alt=

|authority-name = Pallas

|authority-year = 1776 |authority-not-original=

|range = [[Central Asia|Central]] & [[North Asia]], [[Afghanistan]], [[Western China|West]] and [[North China]] (mainly [[Xinjiang]]), [[North India|NW India]], SE [[Turkistan Region|Kazakhstan]], [[Kyrgyzstan]], [[Mongolia]], [[Northern Pakistan|North Pakistan]], [[Southern Russia|South Russia]], [[Tajikistan]], [[Uzbekistan|East Uzbekistan]].

|range-image = File:Capra sibirica.png

|range-image-size = 180px

|size =

|habitat =

|hunting =

|iucn-status = NT

|population =

|direction =

|subspecies = {{Collapsible list |expand=yes |title=Four subspecies |bullets=on

| ''C. s. sibirica''

| ''C. s. alaiana''

| ''C. s. hagenbecki''

| ''C. s. sakeen''

}}

}}

{{Species table/row

A common mistake people make is that goats will eat anything. This is Not true at all. As a matter of fact, they are fastidious eaters and will not even take a bite of something that has fallen onto the ground or that someone else has had in their mouth. Goats prefer to browse [[shrubbery]] and [[weed]]s for food. Unlike sheep, goats browse; more like deer, preferring woody shrubs rather than grasses. Mold in a goat's feed can actually make them so sick it can kill them. Nightshade is also poisonous; wilted fruit tree leaves can also kill goats.

|name= Markhor|binomial=[[Capra falconeri]]

NEVER feed goats feed with any signs of mold at all. Silage (corn stalks) is not good for goats, but haylage can be used if consumed immediately after opening. Alfalfa is their favorite hay, fescue the least palatable and least nutritious.

|image=File:Markhor Schraubenziege Capra falconeri Zoo Augsburg-02.jpg |image-size=180px |image-alt=

|authority-name=Wagner |authority-year=1839 |authority-not-original=yes

|range= [[South Asia]]; the [[Karakoram]] and [[Himalayas|Himalaya]] ranges.

|range-image=File:Capra falconeri map.gif

|range-image-size=180px

|size=

|habitat=

|hunting=

|iucn-status= NT

|population=

|direction=

|subspecies={{Collapsible list |expand=yes |title=Five subspecies |bullets=on

| ''C. f. falconeri''

| ''C. f. heptneri''

| ''C. f. megaceros''

| ''C. f. cashmiriensis''

| ''C. f. jerdoni''

}}

}}

{{Species table/row

Goats are the only animals with an innate sense of democracy. That's why they're sometimes referred to as "nature's president"

|name= Domestic goat|binomial=[[Capra hircus]]

|image=File:Gorges du Verdon Goat-Rove-black 0253.jpg|image-size=180px |image-alt=

|authority-name=Linnaeus |authority-year=1758 |authority-not-original=

|range= [[Cosmopolitan distribution|Cosmopolitan]] distribution; [[Domestication|domesticated]].

|range-image=

|range-image-size=180px

|size=

|habitat=

|hunting=

|iucn-status= LC

|population=

|direction=

|subspecies=

}}

{{Species table/row

==Goats in Folklore and Mythology==

|name=Wild goat |binomial=[[Capra aegagrus]]

Since its inception, [[Christianity]] has associated goats with [[Satan]]. A common [[superstition]] in the [[Middle Ages]] was that goats whispered lewd sentences in the ears of the [[saint]]s. The origin of this belief was probably the behavior of the buck in rut, the very epitome of lust. The common mediaeval depiction of a [[devil]] was that of a goat like face with horns and small beard (a [[goatee]]). The [[Black Mass]], a probably-mythological "Satanic mass," was said to involve a black goat, a form in which Satan supposedly manifested himself for worship.

|image=File:Bezoarziege.jpg|image-size=180px |image-alt=

|authority-name=Erxleben|authority-year=1777 |authority-not-original=

|range= [[Turkey]], the [[Caucasus]] to [[Turkmenistan]], Afghanistan and Pakistan

|range-image=

|range-image-size=180px

|size=

|habitat=

|hunting=

|iucn-status= NT

|population=

|direction=

|subspecies={{Collapsible list |expand=yes |title=Four subspecies |bullets=on

|[[Bezoar ibex]] ''C. a. aegagrus''

|[[Sindh ibex]] ''C. a. blythi''

|[[Chiltan ibex]] ''C. a. chialtanensis''

|[[Turkmen wild goat]] ''C. a. turcmenica''

}}

}}

{{Species table/row

The goat has had a lingering connection with [[Satanism]] and [[pagan]] [[religion]]s, even into modern times. The [[pentagram]], a symbol used by both Satanism and [[Wicca]], is said to be shaped like a goat's head. It is sometimes called the [[goat of Mendes]], after a goat that supposedly copulated with [[priestess]]es during certain rituals in an ancient [[cult]] in Mendes, Greece.

|name=East Caucasian tur |binomial=[[Capra cylindricornis]]

|image=File:Daghestanischer Tur Ostkaukasischer Steinbock Capra cylindricornis Zoo Augsburg-10 (cropped).jpg|image-size=180px |image-alt=

|authority-name=Blyth |authority-year=1841 |authority-not-original=yes

|range= [[Greater Caucasus|Greater Caucasus Mountains]].

|range-image=

|range-image-size=180px

|size=

|habitat=

|hunting=

|iucn-status= NT

|population=

|direction=

|subspecies=

}}

{{Species table/row

The Norse god of thunder, Thor, had a chariot that was pulled by several goats. At night when he would set up camp, Thor would eat the meat of the goats & break their legs to eat the marrow. In the morning, they would always reappear to pull the chariot.

|name=West Caucasian tur |binomial=[[Capra caucasica]]

|image=File:Capra caucasica1.JPG|image-size=180px |image-alt=

|authority-name=Güldenstädt and Pallas |authority-year=1783 |authority-not-original=

|range= Caucasus Mountains.

|range-image=

|range-image-size=180px

|size=

|habitat=

|hunting=

|iucn-status=EN

|population=

|direction=

|subspecies=

}}

{{Species table/row

The goat is also one of the twelve-year cycle of animals which appear in the [[Chinese zodiac]] related to the [[Chinese calendar]]. It is thought that each animal is associated with certain personality traits; those born in a year of the goat are predicted to be shy, introverted, creative, and perfectionist. See [[Sheep (Zodiac)]].

|name=Alpine ibex |binomial=[[Capra ibex]]

|image=File:SteinbockGabinten.jpg|image-size=180px |image-alt=

|authority-name=Linnaeus |authority-year=1758 |authority-not-original=

|range= [[Austria]], [[Bavaria]], [[France]], [[Italy]], [[Liechtenstein]], [[Slovenia]] & [[Switzerland]].

|range-image=File:AlpineIbex distribution.png

|range-image-size=180px

|size=

|habitat=

|hunting=

|iucn-status= LC

|population=

|direction=

|subspecies=

}}

{{Species table/row

The [[Capricorn]] sign in the Western [[zodiac]] is usually depicted as a goat with a [[fish]]'s tail.

|name= Iberian ibex|binomial=[[Capra pyrenaica]]

|image=File:Cabra montés 2.jpg|image-size=180px |image-alt=

|authority-name=Schinz |authority-year=1838 |authority-not-original=yes

|range= [[Iberian Peninsula]]: [[Andorra]], [[Pyrenees|Pyrenees Mountains]], [[Spain]] to [[Portugal]].

|range-image=

|range-image-size=180px

|size=

|habitat=

|hunting=

|iucn-status= LC

|population=

|direction=

|subspecies={{Collapsible list |expand=yes |title=Four subspecies |bullets=on

|''[[Capra pyrenaica hispanica]]''

|''[[Capra pyrenaica victoriae]]''

|†''[[Capra pyrenaica lusitanica]]''

|†''[[Capra pyrenaica pyrenaica]]''

}}

}}

{{Species table/row

==Gallery==

|name=Nubian ibex |binomial=[[Capra nubiana]]

<gallery>

|image=File:Nubian Ibex in Negev.JPG|image-size=180px |image-alt=

Image:Gorge_du_Verdon_Goat_0254.jpg|Goat in the mountains above Gorges du Verdon, Provence, South-France

|authority-name=F. Cuvier|authority-year= 1825 |authority-not-original=

Image:Goat skull.jpg|A goat skull

|range= [[Egypt]], [[Eritrea]], [[Ethiopia]], [[Israel]], [[Jordan]], [[Lebanon]], [[Oman]], [[Palestine (region)|Palestine]], [[Saudi Arabia]], [[Sudan]], [[United Arab Emirates]] and [[Yemen]].<ref>{{cite iucn |last1=Ross |first1=S. |last2=Elalqamy |first2=H. |last3=Al Said |first3=T. |last4=Saltz |first4=D. |title=''Capra nubiana'' |volume=2020 |page=e.T3796A22143385 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T3796A22143385.en}}</ref>

Image:Brown female goat.jpg|Female goat, also called a nanny

|range-image=

Image:Goats in mountains.jpg|Domestic Goats high up in the hills

|range-image-size=180px

Image:Karjus.jpg|A man [[herding]] [[goats]] in [[Tunisia]]

|size=Males: 52–74.7 kg (115–165 lb)

Females: 25.3–32.7 kg (56–72 lb)

|habitat=Mountainous desert terrain near water sources

|hunting=[[Acacia]] and other trees, shrubs, and grasses

|iucn-status= VU

|population=4,500 <ref>{{cite iucn |last1=Ross |first1=S. |last2=Elalqamy |first2=H. |last3=Al Said |first3=T. |last4=Saltz |first4=D. |title=''Capra nubiana'' |volume=2020 |page=e.T3796A22143385 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T3796A22143385.en}}</ref>

|direction=

|subspecies=

}}

{{Species table/row

|name= Walia ibex|binomial=[[Capra walie]]

|image=File:Walia ibex 2.jpg|image-size=180px |image-alt=

|authority-name=Rüppell|authority-year=1835 |authority-not-original=

|range= [[Ethiopian Highlands]] & [[Simien Mountains]].

|range-image=File:Capra walie distribution.png

|range-image-size=180px

|size=

|habitat=

|hunting=

|iucn-status= VU

|population=

|direction=

|subspecies=

}}

{{Species table/end}}

==Domestication and uses==

{{main|Domestic goat}}

Along with sheep, goats were among the first [[domesticated animals]]. The domestication process started at least 10,000 years ago in what is now northern [[Iran]].<ref>{{cite journal | url=https://www.science.org/doi/abs/10.1126/science.287.5461.2254 | doi=10.1126/science.287.5461.2254 | title=The Initial Domestication of Goats ( ''Capra hircus'' ) in the Zagros Mountains 10,000 Years Ago | date=2000 | last1=Zeder | first1=Melinda A. | last2=Hesse | first2=Brian | journal=Science | volume=287 | issue=5461 | pages=2254–2257 | pmid=10731145 | bibcode=2000Sci...287.2254Z | url-access=subscription }}</ref> Easy human access to goat hair, [[meat]], and [[milk]] were the primary motivations. Goat skins were popularly used until the [[Middle Ages]] for water and [[wine bottles]] when traveling and [[camping]], and in certain regions as [[parchment]] for writing.

<gallery class=center mode=nolines widths="200px" heights="200px">

File:Goats as weed control.jpg|Goats used for natural weed control

</gallery>

==References==

More pictures on: [[http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Goat]], [[http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Goat]]

{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==

{{Commons}}

* {{Cite NIE|wstitle=Ibex |year=1905 |short=x}}

{{Artiodactyla|R.3}}

== See also ==

{{Commons2|Goat|Goat}}

*[[Domestic goat]]

*[[User:GoatLink|Goat Glossary of Terms]]

*[[Livestock]]

*[[Royal antelope]]

[[Category:Goats| ]]

{{Taxonbar|from=Q172923}}

[[bg:Кози]]

{{Authority control}}

[[ca:Cabra]]

[[cy:Gafr]]

[[de:Ziegen]]

[[es:Cabra]]

[[eo:Kapro]]

[[fr:Chèvre]]

[[he:עז]]

[[id:Kambing]]

[[io:Kapro]]

[[ko:염소 (동물)]]

[[ja:ヤギ]]

[[ms:Kambing]]

[[nds:Teeg]]

[[nl:Geit]]

[[no:Geit]]

[[pt:Bode]]

[[tr:keçi]]

[[zh:山羊]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Capra (Genus)}}

also known as a boz.

[[Category:Capra (genus)| ]]

[[Category:Extant Pleistocene first appearances]]

[[Category:Goats]]

[[Category:Mammal genera]]

[[Category:Mammals of Africa]]

[[Category:Mammals of Asia]]

[[Category:Animal taxa named by Carl Linnaeus]]