5 Things About Goats

5 Things About Goats

Eyes

Goats possess an approximate 320-degree peripheral vision field for predator detection due to horizontal elongation of their pupils to form a rectangle shape; maybe they cannot see directly in front or behind, except they have their nose and mouth for in front at least.

The eyes lack vertical length, not being the best for seeing above or below - although it helps block out the blinding sun, absorbing less light from above. Regardless, they can rotate their eyes in the sockets to keep level with the ground, whether the head is up or down. Perhaps they can appear less vulnerable to predators if they inconspicuously browse below but with their heads up. It doesn't seem farfetched because goats can nonchalantly sneeze as a warning signal to conspecifics if they spot a predator in their peripheries - without necessarily alerting the predator.

Domesticated goats are similar to dogs in respect of eye contact. When a problem is unsolvable alone, such as obtaining unreachable food, they can hint for help from a trusted human, whereas they don't harbour the exaggerated eyebrow structure of a dog to elicit our nurturing response - meaning they are unable to guilt-trip us to the same extent.

Mouth

At around a year old, goats should have all their deciduous baby teeth. In their 5th, they should have their adult set of 8 incisors and 24 molars. They have no upper teeth, instead a robust dental 'pad' in front of the hard palate that replicates them.

A probable myth is that goats will eat pretty much anything. However, they are selective foragers/browsers that evolved in the mountains with scarce food availability. As adept survivors they are pickier for new and clean food for optimal nutritional value. In addition, they use their mouths frequently as a sensory identification method, like mouthing, chewing or licking, as they are often inquisitive.

Calls and Identification

Goats can recognise their companions just by their calls. Some also have 'accents' depending on regional location, which 'foreign' goats may or may not understand. It is plausible that vocal cords differ via adaptation corresponding to variable environments.

Likewise, they can differentiate call valences (positive or negative implication). Negative vocalisations regularly consist of a fluctuating pitch, while positive ones are consistent. They can be affected by emotions from calls, e.g., reception of a distress call will impact physiology, alongside their ensuing behavioural reaction via a fight or flight response. It's named 'emotional contagion', prevalent throughout herd mentality prey, assumably only intensifying one another's reactions - via collective affirmation of a stimulus.

Goats can even discriminate between human faces, where happy ones are seemingly more appealing. Domestication has resulted in acclimation to expression and body language.

Myotonia

Congenital myotonia is what causes goats that appear to 'faint'. It is actually muscle paralysis responding to fright or excitement, such as getting startled by a sudden sound. It is a painless process where the goat will remain conscious - lasting between as little as 5 seconds to a minute in severe cases.

Myotonia is an inherited neuromuscular condition, the likely origin being a random genetic mutation - involving prolonged contraction and loss of control in the legs; they can topple over with their legs rigid in the air unless they lean against something. Or they might turn into a statue (which could be pushed over and stay static). Still, it's also understandably confused with thanatosis (playing dead) as they are prey.

Rumination

Goats are ruminant animals, so they have four stomach chambers - the 'rumen', 'reticulum', 'omasum' and 'abomasum'. For food to pass through the alimentary canal, it can take allegedly 11-15 hours.

The rumen works with the reticulum through muscular contractions for anti-peristalsis (regurgitation) of initially digested food and cud chewing to occur. The regurgitation cycle continues until the heavier particles can pass to the omasum after being mixed with salivary enzymes and swallowed. Smaller food particles go to the rumen for absorption, whereas larger ones spill into the reticulum, awaiting further catabolism in the other stomaches.

The rumen is the biggest, where bacteria and protozoa ferment the cellulose in roughage and convert it to volatile fatty acids, which get absorbed through the rumen walls. Yes, their breath and belches stink as methane gas gets expelled as a by-product of fermentation.

The omasum consists of long tissue folds to decrease food particle size and remove fluid content. Then the abomasum breaks down the food further with hydrochloric acid and digestive enzymes before absorption in the small intestines - reminiscent of monogastric animals.