PHOTO: Daniela/Flickr
Sub Goat Physiology
- Life span: 10 to 12 years, up to 30 in rare cases
- Heart rate: 70 to 80 beats per minute
- Respiratory rate: 15 to 30 breaths per minute
- Temperature: 102.5 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit
- Water intake: 188 cubic centimeters per kilogram over 24 hrs
- Urine volume: 10 to 40 milliliters per kilogram body weight per day
- Gastrointestinal transit time: 6 hours
- Blood volume: 1/12 to 1/13 of bodyweight
Goat Reproduction
- Puberty: 3 to 7 months
- Birth rate: 1 to 5 kids; twins most common
- Gestation: 146 to 155 days
- Birth weight: 2 to 9 pounds, depending on breed
- Weaning age: 8 weeks
Goat Anatomy
- Hooves: cloven, two toes. Consists of wall, sole and frog. Grows constantly.
- Tail: short and bare underneath; usually points upward
- Ears: hanging or upright, depending on the breed
- Eyes: rectangular pupil, good night vision. Color varies by breed and coat color.
- Nostrils: narrow, just above the mouth; good sense of close-up smell to discern feed
- Mouth: Upper jaw has no teeth and a hard palate; lower jaw has 8 incisors and 24 molars.
- Horns: Most have 2 horns, made of living bone surrounded by keratin and other proteins.
- Udders: two mammory glands, or teats