What the sources say
GoatCapra hircus
Every figure, record and mechanism on the Goat profile was written from a source, and this is the working table behind it: 50 claims checked word for word against these sources. The left column is what the page says. The right column is the source's own words, copied, not paraphrased; a ... marks a cut and[brackets] an insertion. Open any source and check it yourself.
Profile updated
Source
01
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan
Capra hircus (domestic goat). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.
- The page saysA domesticated ruminant
- The source says
Domestic goats are ruminants and eat grasses and shrubs.
- The page saysRaised in almost all habitats worldwide
- The source says
Capra hircus is a domesticated animal and has been raised in almost all habitats.
- The page saysferal groups are usually found in rugged mountain country, rocky crags and alpine meadows
- The source says
Feral groups are found usually in rugged mountain country, rocky crags, and alpine meadows.
- The page saysGrasses and shrubs
- The source says
Domestic goats are ruminants and eat grasses and shrubs.
- The page saysNot Evaluated
- The source says
Capra hircus is a domesticated animal and has been raised in almost all habitats.
Note: stats.conservationStatus. The page says the goat is a domesticated animal, so no Red List category applies. GBIF's Capra hircus Linnaeus, 1758 (usage key 2441056, ACCEPTED) carries no threat status (threatStatuses empty), checked 2026-09-29 via api.gbif.org species/search and species/match; not cited. The wild ancestor Capra aegagrus has its own assessment, which is not the goat's. Precedent domestic-cat, domestic-dog: no IUCN reference. - The page saysA goat's upper jaw does not develop milk teeth
- The source says
The upper jaw does not develop milk teeth
- The page saysIt has bony plates that meet the lower teeth instead
- The source says
rather it has bony plates to articulate with the lower teeth
- The page saysGoats eat grasses and shrubs
- The source says
Domestic goats are ruminants and eat grasses and shrubs.
- The page saysSize depends on the breed.
- The source says
weight can vary between 9 and 113 kg and height can vary between 26 and 107 cm in different breeds
- The page saysTypical adults weigh 45 kg
- The source says
Typically, adults weigh 45 kg
- The page saysHumans have since spread goats all over the world
- The source says
Since the domestication of this species, goats have been spread all over the world by humans.
- The page saysThere are some on Hawaii and on other islands.
- The source says
There are some feral groups on Hawaii and on other islands.
- The page saysFeral groups, meaning goats living wild, are found usually in rugged mountain country, rocky crags and alpine meadows
- The source says
Feral groups are found usually in rugged mountain country, rocky crags, and alpine meadows.
- The page saysTwins are common in goats, and otherwise 1 or 3 offspring is the typical brood size.
- The source says
Twins are extremely common to this species, otherwise 1 or 3 offspring is the typical brood size.
- The page saysGestation differs between breeds but runs between 145 and 152 days.
- The source says
Gestation differs between breeds, but is between 145 and 152 days.
- The page saysThe young are born precocious and able to walk and follow the mother just hours after birth.
- The source says
The young are born precocious and able to walk and follow the mother just hours after birth.
Source
02
Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute
Goat. Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.
- The page saysrectangular pupils
- The source says
A goat's eye has a rectangular pupil.
- The page saysa digestive system that works nonstop
- The source says
A goat's digestive system works nonstop throughout its adult life
- The page saysplus bushes, trees, desert scrub and aromatic herbs
- The source says
Unlike sheep and cattle, goats can also survive on bushes, trees, desert scrub and aromatic herbs.
- The page saysA digestive system that works nonstop
- The source says
A goat's digestive system works nonstop throughout its adult life
- The page sayswith a four-compartment stomach
- The source says
goats have a four-compartment stomach
- The page saysan intestinal canal about 30.5 meters long
- The source says
A goat’s intestinal canal is about 100 feet (30.5 meters) long
- The page saysA goat's digestive system works nonstop throughout its adult life
- The source says
A goat's digestive system works nonstop throughout its adult life
- The page saysSome animals alternate between periods of stress and inactivity in their digestive organs
- The source says
While some animals have digestive organs and secretions that alternate between periods of stress and inactivity
- The page saysGoats must produce digestive juices and enzymes 24 hours a day
- The source says
goats must continually produce digestive juices and enzymes 24 hours a day
- The page saysThey have a four-compartment stomach
- The source says
goats have a four-compartment stomach
- The page saystheir intestinal canal is about 100 feet (30.5 meters) long
- The source says
A goat’s intestinal canal is about 100 feet (30.5 meters) long
- The page saysFeed takes 11 to 15 hours to pass through the whole digestive system
- The source says
It takes 11 to 15 hours for feed to pass through a goat’s digestive system.
- The page saysBecause the upper jaw is wider than the lower, a goat can only use one side of its mouth at a time to grind food
- The source says
Because a goat’s upper jaw is wider than its lower jaw, it can only use one side of its mouth at a time to grind food.
- The page saysA goat's eye has a rectangular pupil. It is believed that goats have excellent night vision.
- The source says
A goat's eye has a rectangular pupil. It is believed that goats have excellent night vision.
- The page saysUnlike sheep and cattle, they can also survive on bushes, trees, desert scrub and aromatic herbs
- The source says
Unlike sheep and cattle, goats can also survive on bushes, trees, desert scrub and aromatic herbs.
- The page saysMost goats will also stand on their back legs to reach tree branches and shrubs
- The source says
Most goats will also stand on their back legs to reach tree branches and shrubs.
- The page saysGrazing goats have been observed refusing to graze forage that has been trampled and soiled
- The source says
Grazing goats have also been observed selecting grass over clover, preferring browsing to grazing, grazing along fence lines before the center of a pasture, and refusing to graze forage that has been trampled and soiled.
- The page saysThey are also intelligent and quick to learn good and bad habits, such as opening gate latches
- The source says
They are intelligent and quick to learn good and bad habits, such as opening gate latches.
- The page saysMature female dwarf goats can weigh as little as 20 pounds (9.1 kg) and stand 18 inches (45.7 cm) tall
- The source says
Goats vary from as little as 20 pounds (9.1 kg) in weight and 18 inches (45.7 cm) tall in the mature female dwarf goat
- The page saysIndian Jamnapari, Swiss Saanen and Alpine goats go up to 250 pounds (113.5 kg) and 42 inches (106.7 cm) tall
- The source says
to 250 pounds (113.5 kg) and 42 inches (106.7 cm) in height for Indian Jamnapari, Swiss Saanen, and Alpine
- The page saysGoats descend primarily from the bezoar goat, Capra aegagrus
- The source says
Domestic goats are primarily descended from the Bezoar goat, Capra aegagrus
- The page saysIf given a chance, goats can easily revert to feral or wild condition
- The source says
If given a chance, goats can easily revert to feral or wild condition.
- The page saysEye color varies, but yellow and brown are the most common, and the pupils are rectangular.
- The source says
Goats’ eyes have rectangular pupils. Eye color varies, but yellow and brown are the most common.
- The page saysGoats will often browse at night.
- The source says
Goats will often browse at night
- The page saysA goat's digestive system works nonstop throughout its adult life
- The source says
A goat's digestive system works nonstop throughout its adult life
Note: vibe.reason; same quote as the body claim - The page saysfeed takes 11 to 15 hours to pass through
- The source says
It takes 11 to 15 hours for feed to pass through a goat’s digestive system.
Note: vibe.reason; same quote as the body claim
Source
03
AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database, Build 15, Human Ageing Genomic Resources
AnAge entry for Capra hircus. AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database, Build 15, Human Ageing Genomic Resources.
- The page saysthe record for a goat in captivity belongs to one female who lived 20.8 years
- The source says
Record longevity in captivity belongs to one female who lived 20.8 years
- The page saysIt is possible that goats may live for longer, but they are culled before reaching their maximum lifespan, due to issues in the nervous, digestive and reproductive systems, and lameness.
- The source says
It is possible that these animals may live for longer, but they are culled before reaching their maximum lifespan, due to issues in the nervous, digestive and reproductive systems, and lameness
Source
04
Daly et al. 2021
Daly et al. (2021). Herded and hunted goat genomes from the dawn of domestication in the Zagros Mountains. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
- The page saysThe Zagros Mountains of western Iran provide some of the earliest archaeological evidence of goat
- The source says
period in the Zagros Mountains, western Iran, provides some of the earliest archaeological evidence of goat
- The page saysmanagement and husbandry, by circa 8200 cal BC
- The source says
management and husbandry by circa 8200 cal BC
- The page saysAncient genomes from two Zagros Mountains sites in western Iran, Ganj Dareh and Tepe Abdul Hosein, show managed goats were genetically distinct from wild goats.
- The source says
we analyzed 14 novel nuclear genomes (mean coverage 1.13X) and 32 mitochondrial (mtDNA) genomes (mean coverage 143X) from two such sites, Ganj Dareh and Tepe Abdul Hosein. These genomes show two distinct clusters: those with domestic affinity and a minority group with stronger wild affinity, indicating that managed goats were genetically distinct from wild goats at this early horizon.
- The page saysThe team says goats were being managed as genetically domestic animals by circa 8200 cal BC.
- The source says
support management of genetically domestic goat by circa 8200 cal BC
- The page saysDetectable morphological change, a change in form, appeared about 1,000 years later.
- The source says
with detectable morphological change appearing ∼1,000 y later
- The page saysThe bone remains from these sites had wild morphology.
- The source says
the wild morphology of bone remains illustrates domestication as an extended process
How the table was made: a writer drafted the profile from these sources and logged each claim with its quote, a reviewer with nothing but this table checked every sentence said no more than its quote, and a script confirmed each quote appears word for word in the source. The method is in the site'sAbout page.