Types of Goats
| Additional Animal Information Wild Animals Dairy Goats Pictures of Farm Animals |
Technically Bovidae are defined as even-toed ungulates to differentiate the member species from animal families in the order Perissodactula, the odd-toe ungulates such as horses.
The Bovidae family recognizes two different types of goats, mountain goats in the Genus Oreamnos, and domestic goats in the Genus Capra.
The Mountain Goat (Oreamnos americanus), the sole representative of the Oreamnos genus, lives in mountain terrain along the coastal areas of Southern Alaska, British Columbia and Washington State, along with a population in the upper Rocky Mountains.
The Capra genus consists of both goats and ibexes, and the types of domestic goats usually found on farms in the United States are a breed of Capra hircus.
Most domestic goats are raised for their dairy, meat and fiber production. Their docile nature also makes them a good pet choice.
Most goats can be considered meat goats, however the term generally refers to breeds raised specifically for the meat. The bottom picture shows a Boer Goat, a South African breed generally considered a meat goat. Introduced to the United States in the 1990s, it is also considered a great pet.
The dairy goats link in the box on the right provides additional information on domestic goats in the United States.
© 2009. Patricia A. Michaels