Details
Capra aegagrus
Wild goat is a mountain-dwelling wild goat closely related to the ancestor of domestic goats. It is important to goat domestication history, while wild populations face hunting and contact with domestic goats.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
It inhabits rocky mountains, dry slopes, and scrub from the Middle East into Central Asia. Main habitat types in this guide are mountain, desert, grassland.
Typical length 120-160 cm, weight 25 kg-95 kg. Males have large backward-curving horns and darker coats, while females are smaller with shorter horns.
It is diurnal and a herd-forming species. It moves skillfully across cliffs and rocky slopes, retreating to steep ground when disturbed.
It is herbivorous. Grasses, shrub leaves, and shoots are eaten, including tough plants in dry areas.
Males compete during the rut, and females give birth to one or more kids.
Declines or fragmentation make monitoring important. It is important to goat domestication history, while wild populations face hunting and contact with domestic goats.
