Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Artiodactyla

Family: Bovidae

Subfamily: Caprinae

Genus: Capra

Specimen Description

Goat can have short- or long-haired coat. Most species have guard hair on the surface and soft insulating hair close to the skin. Goats with long, lustrous coat are highly appreciated in textile industry (they are used as a source of silk-like fibers). The hair or fiber on the skin can be sheared once or twice a year. How many times a goat can be sheared depends on the climate where they are living, and  the goats’ ability to regrow their coat. The average goat yields about 10 pounds of fiber each shearing. Their hair grows longer, sometimes to more than 4 inches in length.

About the Animal

Goats are one of the earliest animals domesticated by humans, and are found nearly world-wide in a variety of environments. Centuries ago people began keeping goats for their meat, milk, skin for leather, dung for fuel, body parts for tools and building, and as pet. There are 130 domestic goat breeds in the world. Each breed varies in size, ranging from pygmy goats that weigh around 80 pounds to stocky meat goats like Boer goats, which weigh an average of 250 pounds. Horns are a dominant genetic trait in animals. Most goats, both male and female, grow horns that vary in size and shape depending on the breed. Some goats are polled, and may not grow horns at all.

Reference:

http://www.hedricks.com/Promotions/aroundtheworldinonedisplay/Goat.html

http://www.softschools.com/facts/animals/goat_facts/2482/