Pygmy Goat

scientific name

Capra hircus

size/weight/height

Weight: 8 - 36 lbs.
Height at Shoulders: 15 - 17"

adaptations/coloration

Color: brown,white, black, silver-gray and caramel
Beard: small
Horn: both sexes (ours are dehorned)
Scent Glands: located on crown of head

behavior

Odor: males produce a musky, offensive odor to attract females (especially during breeding season); females and neutered males are odor-free.

reproduction/lifespan

Lifespan: 10 - 18 years
Gestation: 147 - 180 days
Birth: 1 -2 young; .8 lbs. at birth; able to stand and nurse minutes after birth
Weaned: 12 wks
Maturity: 8 - 12mos.
Young: precocious " able to run & jump 4 hrs after birth.

diet

Wild: browsers; leaves preferred to grass
Zoo: hay, oats & pellets

habitat/range

native to West Africa " now raised worldwide

status

domestic

oregon zoo exhibit

Education Programs

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