The
wild goat (
Capra aegagrus) is a widespread
species of
goat, with a distribution ranging from
Europe and
Asia Minor to
central Asia and the
Middle East.
Social structure
In the wild, goats live in flocks of up to 500 individuals; males are solitary.
Male goats go through a period called a rut, where they are ready to mate. During the rut old males drive younger males from the maternal herds. The
gestation period averages 170 days. Does (females) usually give birth to one kid. Kids can follow the mother goat almost immediately after birth. Kids are
weaned after 6 months. Female goats reach
sexual maturity at 1.5-2.5 years, males at 3.5-4 years. The lifespan of a goat can be from 12 to 22 years.
Environmental problems caused by goats
Though wild goats are native to some areas introduction to new areas can be extremely destructive. On the Galapagos wild goats (descendents of the goats left by explorers) ate the native plants. This threw the ecosystem off, in order to correct this they were hunted to extinction on the islands. Though this may seem like an extreme measure, it was necessary to prevent native species' extinction.
Subspecies
Distribution
References
- Listed as Vulnerable (VU A2cde v2.3)
External links
