GOAT CHARACTERISTIC
Goat is the common name for Ruminants "Artiodattili", belonging to the family of "bovidi" and the subrace of Goaatish belonging to Goat and Oreamnos types. The type is divided in to many wild species and as many domestic forms. On the Eurasia and Northern African mountains there are three wild goat species: the Steinbok (Capra Ibex), the Makor or Falconer Goat and the Bezoar's goat or Egagro (Capra Aegagrus). The animals belonging to these three species have a medium size, with strong feet, suitable for rupestrian life. Their fur is covered with stiff hair and thick down. The skin emanates a charactestic umpleasant smell, especially in the love period. The male head is endowed with imposing sabre-shaped horns, with are smaller in the females. Males also have a short beard under the chin. In North America the wild goat also called Snow Goat or Mountain Goat (Oreamnos Americanus), is 160-175 cm long, 1 metres tall and is weight is between 80 and 130 Kg. Its fur is long and thick, completly white, the head is lengthened, the eyes are near the horns, that have a circle section and are ringly at the base.In males horns can be 30 cm. long, while in the females they are much shorter. This goat lives in the Northern part of the mountain chains of Western United States and Canada, and it is also present in Alaska. It's a protected species that lives in national parks. Domestic goats are divided in to African, European and Asian ones. There are different opinions about the origin of domestic goats. West Asian, African and European goats probabily descend from the Bezoar's goat, while the Himalaia goats probabily descend from the Makor ones. Through fossil remains we can suppose that the taming of goats dates back to mesolitico. The Egyptians revered it , while the Romans bred it, we have this information thanks to Catullo, Ovidio and Plinio. The domestic goat has an lengthened body, but not very slim ; its head has a straight profile with triangular horns with different shapes. The tail is short, while the feet are strong, thin and with medium lenght, ending with two bighooved toes. The ears can be short and straight or long and hanging. The neck is long and thin, with two haired hanging appendices called curbs (or lacinias, or pendants).The eyes are quit big the iris is usually light yellow-brown. The skin is thin and it has got many glands, whose scret has a charracteristic smell; the fur is bristly and thick, its lenght and colour varying accordin to breeds. The colour can be uniform (white, black, blond, grey) but even spotted. The charracterist beard made up of hair, under the chin, gives to the animal a nice expression. The Females have got two breasts, that are separated by a deep mediam furrow. They are ready for reproduction at the age of about one year. the pregnancy lasts 5 months; the twin-births are very frequent. The domestic goat has an intelligent, lively and very curious nature; if they are frightened they may become very fighting. It's a rustical and strong animal, used  to live in wild or semidesert areas not very exating as regards feeding, it can feed with poor and dry grass, dry leaves or barks. The goat is principally bred for milk production and secondarily for meat (goatlings meat is very renowned because it is tasty and tender; the birth takes usually place just before Easter). Wool and pelts are obtained from Asian and African goats. Its milk is highly nourishing and simple to digest; it is used for children, elderly and ill people diets. From goat milk are produced butter and very tasty cheeses such as "robiola".

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