The bovid known as the Wild Goat (Capra aegagrus) was the progenitor of the Domestic Goat, although domestic goats have probably been hybridized with other wild goat species in Asia. Wild Goats are found in western Asia (since their introduction in 1970, a free-roaming population maintained by hunting at 500 to 1000 individuals has also existed in New Mexico [U.S.A.]). They live in rocky habitats associated with cliffs from sea level to around 4000 m (but usually below 2500 m). Although in Daghestan they inhabit some montane forests, in general Wild Goats are associated with deserts and semi-arid areas. Natural predators such as Gray Wolves (Canis lupus) and Leopards (Panthera pardus) have been extirpated in most areas now occupied by Wild Goats.
Both sexes have horns, but on males these are much larger, curving up and backwards. Wild Goats are diurnal, feeding in the early morning and late afternoon during warm weather. In areas with large populations, herds may include 100 to 200 animals. During the dry season, large congregations can occur near watering sites.
Wild Goats occur in disjunct populations throughout their range. They have been extirpated from Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria and their status in Iraq and Afghanistan is unknown. Over most of their distribution, viable populations rarely occur outside protected areas. Major threats to Wild Goat populations include habitat deterioration due to use by livestock, hunting, and predation by feral and domestic dogs.
Domestic Goats are sometimes referred to as Capra aegagrus hircus, but Valdez (2011) treats the Domestic Goat as a distinct species, Capra hircus. Feral Domestic Goats have a far wider distribution around the world than do true Wild Goats. The endemic goats on Crete and nearby islands, which are often referred to as C. aegagrus cretica, look similar to wild C, aegagrus, but genetic analyses have indicated that in fact they are actually, as some researchers have suspected, feral domestic goats descended from a very early introduction (Bar-Gal et al. 2002; Masseti 2009).
(Valdez 2011 and references therein)
The wild goat (Capra aegagrus) is a wild goat species, inhabiting forests, shrublands and rocky areas ranging from Turkey and the Caucasus in the west to Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan in the east. It has been listed as near threatened on the IUCN Red List and is threatened by destruction and degradation of habitat.[1]
It is one of the ancestors of the domestic goat (C. hircus).[2]
Capra aegagrus was the scientific name proposed by Johann Christian Polycarp Erxleben in 1777 for the wild goat populations of the Caucasus and Taurus Mountains.[3] Capra blythi proposed by Allan Octavian Hume in 1874 were wild goat horns from Sindh.[4]
The following wild goat subspecies are considered valid taxa:
The kri-kri was once thought to be a subspecies of the wild goat, but is now considered to be a feral descendant of the domestic goat (Capra hircus), as Capra hircus cretica.
In Turkey, the wild goat occurs in the Aegean, Mediterranean, Black Sea, Southeastern and the Eastern Anatolia Regions up to 4,500 m (14,800 ft) in the Taurus and Anti-Taurus Mountains.
In the Caucasus, it inhabits montane forests in the river basins of Andi Koysu and its tributaries in Dagestan, Chechnya and Georgia up to 2,700 m (8,900 ft).[5][6]
In Armenia, wild goats were recorded in the Zangezur Mountains, in Khosrov State Reserve, and in highlands of the Syunik Province during field surveys from 2006 to 2007.[7] In Azerbaijan, wild goats occur in Ordubad National Park, Daralayaz and Murovdag mountain areas in Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.[8] In Iran's Haftad Gholleh Protected Area, wild goat herds live foremost in west-facing areas with rocky substrates, water sources and steep slopes that are far from roads.[9] In Turkmenistan, wild goat populations inhabit the mountain ranges of Uly Balkan[1] and Kopet Dag.[10] In Pakistan, wild goat herds occur in Kirthar National Park.[11]
In Kirthar National Park, 283 wild goat groups were observed for 10 months in 1986. The group sizes ranged from two to 131 individuals but varied seasonally, with a mean ratio of two females per male.[11]
In Dagestan, male wild goats start courting females in mid December. The rutting season lasts until the third week of January. Females give birth to between one and three kids in late June to mid July.[6]
Older males drive younger males from the maternal herds. The gestation period averages 170 days. Kids are mobile almost immediately after birth. Kids are weaned after 6 months. Female goats reach sexual maturity at 1½–2½ years, males at 3½–4 years. The lifespan of a goat can be from 12 to 22 years.
Wild goat populations are threatened foremost by poaching, habitat loss due to logging, and competition with domestic livestock for food resources.[1]
The wild goat (Capra aegagrus) is a wild goat species, inhabiting forests, shrublands and rocky areas ranging from Turkey and the Caucasus in the west to Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan in the east. It has been listed as near threatened on the IUCN Red List and is threatened by destruction and degradation of habitat.
It is one of the ancestors of the domestic goat (C. hircus).
