Kinder Goat

Kinder Goat

The Kinder Goat is actually a very new breed that has only existed for a few decades. It was created in 1985 when two Nubian Goat does were left without a mate on their farm in Washington State. The farm owners allowed their Pygmy Goat Buck to do the breeding instead, and not long after the first Kinder Goats were born.

This breed is dual purpose-- they can be raised for their milk or their meat, and are ideal for very small farms. They produce large amounts of milk with a high (7%) butterfat percentage, and tend to be more muscular than the dairy-specific Nubian goats. Size-wise, they are right between their two ancestors. They can reach 150lbs, and stand about 2.5ft tall.

Kinder Goats come in many different colors, and have the luxury of being able to breed year-round. They are also known for their multiple births-- triplets and quadruplets are actually very common to the breed.

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Status : Status
Location : United States
Size : Shoulder height up to 28in (71cm), Weight up to 150lbs (68kg)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Artiodactyla
Family : Bovidae -- Genus : Capra -- Species : C. aegagrus -- Subspecies : C. a. hircus

Image : Herr Beethoven

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Pygora Goat

Pygora Doe

New breeds of domesticated animal are being created created all the time, and today's animal is one that is relatively recent. The Pygora Goat has only had an official association since 1987, and has been in existence only a few years longer than that. That makes them quite young for a breed, especially when compared to the Angora goats that they are derived from, which have existed for thousands of years.

Pygora Goats are a breed created from crossing small Pygmy Goats with the larger Angora Goats. They have the fine goats of the latter, with the compact size of the former. They were first bred by Katherine Jorgensen in Oregon, and the breed has since spread from there. A registered Pygora Goat cannot be more than 75% Angora or 75% Pygmy.

Three distinct fleece types come from the Pygora Goats-- a soft cashmere-like fleece (Type C), a longer, denser Mohair-like fleece (Type C), and a combination of the two (Type B). Fleeces of all types can be used for spinning and knitting, and they produce very soft, fine goods. Pygora Goats do also produce milk, up to a quart a day. 

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Status : Domesticated
Location : Originated in the United States
Size : Weight up to 95lbs (43kg)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Artiodactyla
Family : Bovidae -- Genus : Capra -- Species : C. aegagrus -- Subspecies : C. a. hircus

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Bharal

Pseudois nayaur

The Bharal is one of those animals that goes by many different common names. Nabo, Naur, and Himalayan Blue Sheep are all some of the different monikers given to the species. Why so many names? Well, the Bharal lives in Central and East Asia, so different countries with different languages refer to the animal in different ways.

Bharal live in the Himalaya Mountains, as well as in other mountainous regions of China. They can be found at altitudes of between 10,000 and 18,000ft. They graze on the mountain slopes, and their grey coats give them excellent camouflage against predators. If they feel threatened, the Bharal stand perfectly still, blending in with the rocks. If that defensive tactic doesn't work, they can scamper up the cliffs with their sure-footed hooves before trying to blend in again. Of course, they can't always escape from predators. They make up a huge portion of the Snow Leopards' diet, and it is estimated that the Leopards consume between 11% and 24% of the Bharal population every year.

The rutting season lasts from November to January, and during that time males will chase and fight each other for the right to mate with the females. The calves are born 5-6 months later. Both male and female Bharal have horns, but those of the male larger.

It is believed that the Bharal are common in their range, which is why they are listed as being of Least Concern. It is, however, difficult to monitor their population due to their remote habitat and high elevation lifestyle. They do occur in several National Parks.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : North America
Size : Height up to 3ft (90cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Artiodactyla
Family : Bovidae -- Genus : Pseudois -- Species : P. nayaur

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West Caucasian Tur

Capra caucasica

The West Caucasian Tur might look very familiar to you, cause it definitely did to me! At first glance I thought it was an Ibex, and that guess wasn't too far off. Turs and Ibxes belong to the exact same genus, and there is even quite a bit of taxonomic uncertainty floating around about how genetically distinct all the Turs and Ibexes actually are.

As the name suggests, these Turs can be found on the western side of the Caucasus Mountains, and they occur primarily within Russia. They are alpine dwellers, and inhabit areas 2,600-13,000ft above sea level (800-4,000m). Males tend to live at higher altitudes than the females, possibly because those areas are harder to navigate with young calves.

West Caucasian Turs feed on over 100 different species of plant. They primarily graze during the summer and browse during the winter. This is because the snowfall can become quite dense, even at the lower altitudes that they travel to during that season, and digging for vegetation can be difficult, even with their strong legs.

Breeding season takes place during those winter months, and kids are born in late spring/early summer. While some ungulates go off and give birth in secluded, inaccessible areas, Tur mothers have their kids right out in the open, and their offspring are able to climb along with the rest of the group by the end of the day!

It is estimated that there are less than 6,000 of these goat-antelopes left in the wild. Hunting, competition from livestock, and habitat loss have all led to their population decline. They do occur in protected areas, but poaching continues.

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IUCN Status : Endangered
Location : Caucasus Mountains
Size : Height around 39in (1m), Weight up to 140lbs (65kg)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Artiodactyla
Family : Bovidae -- Genus : Capra -- Species : C. caucasica

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Merino Sheep

Merino Sheep

Meet the Merino! This domesticated breed of sheep is known for its fine, high quality wool... but it has a lot of other cool characteristics as well, including a history that takes back over a thousand years, as well as a strong presence in the study of livestock genetics.

But first, let's go over some basic facts. Merino sheep are bred almost exclusively for their wool, and that wool is considered to be the finest in the world. It is so desirable that it is actually the wool that all other wool is compared to, as far as grading goes! The breed is also quite hardy and adapts very well to different climates and habitats. For example, they originated in Spain and North Africa, but are now being bred all over the world, including in Australia, Germany, and New England.

The very first Merino ancestors came through North Africa via Asia thanks to the Phonecians. When the Moors entered Spain in the 8th century they brought sheep with them, and by the 12th century the first foundation flocks were in place. These Spanish sheep bred with existing European breeds, and the Merino was the result.

For hundreds of years Spain had a monopoly on these fine quality sheep, and made a large profit off of the wool. Before the 18th century it was against the law to export them, but that all changed when the members of the nobility (including the King) started to send small flocks to other countries and principalities. The Spanish Merinos even became the bases for new breeds, including the popular Rambouillet.

Booroola Merino Ewe with Quadruplets

It was a good thing the Merinos eventually made it out of Spain, because the industry was almost completely obliterated there during the Napoleonic Wars. Since 1810, Australia, the United States, and Germany have been the top countries for the breed. There are now a handful of different strains, including the Peppin, Delaine, and the Booroola.

The Booroola Merino has been studied at a genetic level because they posses a gene called Booroola FecB.   (Named for the Australian ranch that it was discovered on back in the 1950s) This gene has allowed the strain to be one of the most prolifically breeding sheep strains in the world. While most sheep have one or maybe two lambs at a time, Booroola Merinos often have triplets or even quadruplets. Some have even have sextuplets! Introducing Merinos with the FecB gene can substantially increase birthrates without needing to introduce traits from other breeds that have high births, but less desirable wool.

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Status : Domesticated
Location : Originated in Spain
Size : Varies, but males can weigh up to 130lbs (59kg)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Artiodactyla
Family : Bovidae -- Genus : Ovis -- Species : O. aries

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Chamois

Ah, the Chamois, one of my favorite quadrupeds. How could one not be smitten with their cute little backwards "J" horns?

Rupicapra rupicapra

Chamois (pronounced Sham-Wah!) are antelope-like goats that can be found throughout Europe. In fact, there are more than half a dozen location-based subspecies, all of which live in mountainous areas. They inhabit ranges from the Alps in France, all the way over in the Caucasians and Carpathians. They have also been introduced to New Zealand. It is unsurprising that, due to their mountainous lifestyle, they have developed great speed and agility over the steep terrain.

Female Chamois and their young live in small groups, while the adult males are solitary and only interact with others during the breeding season. Males will fight fiercely for the right to breed, and will drive away the young males from the family groups, occasionally killing them!

Interestingly, Chamois are not hunted for their meat, as many other ungulates are. Rather, their skin is very sought after, and produces a very soft, absorbent, and non-abrasive. This cloth is often spelled as "Chamois," but is pronounced like "Shammy." Chamois are protected in many countries, but hunted is still allowed in restricted numbers.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : Europe
Size : Height up to 30in (75cm), Wieght up to 60lbs (27kg)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Artiodactyla
Family : Bovidae -- Genus : Rupicapra -- Species : R. rupicapra

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Pyrenean Ibex

Capra pyrenaica pyrenaica

The Pyrenean Ibex is an extinct subspecies of Spanish Ibex. No one is really sure why they went extinct, though there are a number of different hypotheses floating around, including the inability to compete with livestock and other species, hunting, and disease.

The last Pyrenean Ibex died only a decade ago. Efforts were made before that to try and place individuals in captivity, or to even crossbreed them with other subspecies, but these actions failed. The last male died in 1993, and the last female, a 13 year old named Celia, died in 2000 after being crushed by a tree.

Luckily, tissue samples were collected from Celia before her death, and using those cells scientists worked to clone the Ibex back into existence. Efforts in 2003 failed, and no infants were carried to term. However, in 2009 a young Pyrenean Ibex was born, making it the first animal to become un-extinct. Unfortunately the kid died shortly after birth from a lung defect.

The short-lived success of the Pyrenean Ibex cloning program demonstrates the possibilities that exist for preserving and reviving rare and extinct species. While cloning Woolly Mammoths is still a dream, there are several agencies that are preserving samples from the world's endangered species, including the Frozen Ark Project.

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IUCN Status : Extinct since 2000

Location : France and Spain
Size : Height up to 29in (75cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Artiodactyla
Family : Bovidae -- Genus : Capra -- Species : C. pyrenaica -- Subspecies : C. p. pyrenaica

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Fainting Goat

I feel like I've been covering a lot of domesticated animal breeds lately, but oh well, there are just so many interesting ones out there!

Fainting Goats

The Fainting Goat is, in my opinion, one of the most interesting of them all. This small breed of goat is characterized by a congenital genetic condition called myotonia congenita. When they get scared or startled their muscles completely tense up for as long as 20 seconds, which often causes them to fall over. Young goats are more prone to falling, while older individuals typically figure out ways to keep themselves upright. For a more detailed and scientific explanation on myotonia congenita and Fainting Goats, read this excellent article.

So where did Fainting Goats come from, and what is their purpose? The first goats with symptoms of M.C. were brought to Tennessee from Nova Scotia in the 1880s, and the herd grew from there. They ended up becoming so successful because of their small size, high reproductive rate, less escape-prone temperament, and use as a meat animal. Fainting Goats continue to grow in popularity, both for their meat purposes, and as novelty pets.

Fainting Goats are typically small, but are a highly variable breed. They can come in almost any color, can have both short and long hair, and can range in size between 60 and 160lbs!

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Status : Domesticated

Location : Originated in North America

Size : Height up to 25in (64cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Artiodactyla
Family : Bovidae -- Genus : Capra -- Species : C. aegagrus -- Subspecies : C. a. hircus

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Leicester Longwool Sheep

Leicester Longwool at Colonial Williamsburg

While on vacation I made my way over to Colonial Williamsburg, where, since the 1980s, they have been maintaining a rare breeds program to support and conserve different types of livestock. One of the breeds in the program is today's animal, the Leicester Longwool sheep.

This particular breed was developed in England in the 1700s by Robert Bakewell. Bakewell was the first to use modern selection techniques to create a new breed that would mature quickly and provide higher quality wool.

Leicester Longwools resting

The breed spread throughout England's colonies, and herds were even owned by George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. The Leicesters were crossbred to other sheep, and were instrumental in the creation of other new breeds. Unfortunately they fell out of favor over the course of the 20th century, due to the introduction of newer breeds, and became incredibly rare in both their native England and in North America.

Leicester Longwools did continue on in Australia, and it is from herds there that Colonial Williamsburg obtained their original sheep. They are now being bred in Virginia, and other herds have been established again in the United States.

Leicester Longwools get their name from the heavy, curly fleece that they produce. The wool is high yield, strong, and creates heavy woolens.

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Status :  Listed as Critical by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy

Location : Originated in England

Size : Male weight up to 250lbs (113kg), females 180lbs(82kg)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Artiodactyla
Family : Bovidae -- Genus : Ovis -- Species : O. aries

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Jacob Sheep

Jacob Sheep

Jacob Sheep are a primitive, domesticated breed that has a bit of an obscure and speculative history. The name actually comes from the Biblical Jacob, who had his own herd of spotted sheep, though the name was not given to the breed until more modern times. Pictorial representations of spotted sheep like the Jacobs appear in the ancient art of the Middle East and Mediterranean, and over time they spread into North Africa, Italy and Spain. By the 1700s these sheep were widespread across England, where they were developed and documented as a breed.

Lamb

Jacob Sheep are considered primitive because there has been very little selective breeding done to them. They are known for their hardiness, easy lambing, and spotted fleeces. You may have also noticed in the picture that that sheep has four horns! Jacob Sheep are a polycerate breed, meaning they have multiple sets of horns. Two pairs is most common, but they sometimes have three! Both the males and females sport horns. Jacob Sheep differ from other Northern European polycerates in that they only have one layer of wool, while the others have a fine undercoat and a denser outer-coat.

This particular breed is still considered rare, especially in the United States. Most of the country's population is descended from sheep imported over the last 30 years. In a relatively short amount of time the British and American populations have diverged, with the British stock being larger.

Jacob Sheep are considered a threatened breed, due to their low numbers and the risk of mixing with other breeds. Less than 1,000 Jacob Sheep are registered in the United States each year.

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Status : Threatened by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy
Location : Originally from the Middle East, then England. Now found worldwide
Size : Weights - females 80-120lbs (36-54kg), males 120-180lbs (54-81kg)
Classification : Phylum  Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Artiodactyla
Family : Bovidae -- Subfamily : Caprinae -- Genus : Ovis-- Species : O. aries

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Dall Sheep

(Image Source)

Dall Sheep inhabit the areas of the Northwestern United States and Western Canada.. They live in a variety of habitats but are typically alpine, as they are very sure-footed and can use such terrain to escape predators. Dall Sheep are herbivores that feed off of a variety of grasses.

Until the age of about three, males and females look exactly the same... and then the horns begin to grow. Males grows horns made of keratin, and they may be as old as eight years before a full horn spiral is completed. Females also grow horns, but they are shorter and much more slender.

(Image Source)

Dall Sheep have a very well organized social system. Ewes, lambs, and very young rams live in one group, while adult rams live in another. These two groups will not associate with each other until mating season takes place in November and December. Over the summer, the adult rams will fights each other to establish a dominance ranking come breeding time. It is the most dominant males that mate the most often. This fighting also continues during mating season itself. The sound of rams clashing horns can be heard from a kilometer away.

Ewes are pregnant for about 175 days (roughly 5.7 months) and give birth to one lamb. These lambs grow quickly and are weaned after 3-5 months. Ewes typically breed every year.

Dall Sheep are listed as being of Least Concern.

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Markhor

The Markhor, the national animal of Pakistan, is a particularly stunning creature. They are large members of the Capra genus, with males reaching weights of 240lbs. They are not the heaviest goats, but they certainly are the tallest, with males standing 3-4ft at the shoulder. Both sexes possess a pair tight, corkscrew twisted horns, but those of the male far surpass those of the female in length. Their horns can grow to 60 or more inches, and are used in aggressive fights during the mating season. They have shaggy coats that grow in length and color seasonally, with the hair shorter and redder in the summer, and longer and grayer in winter.

(Image Source)

Markhors (Capra falconeri) are currently found in only a few small pockets in the Himalayas, typically at elevations of between 2,000 and 12,000ft, where there is still sparse vegetation. They are exceptional climbers and their locations vary with the season, with summers in the higher altitudes and winters in the lower. Their feeding habits also are seasonally affected; in summer they tend to be grazers while in winter they browse. Markhor populations in these few remaining areas are small and typically very isolated. In the past, the Markhor had a range that extended throughout central Asia.

Unfortunately, Markhor are an endangered species, and continue to be hunted for their meat and for their horns, which are used as both hunting trophies and as ingredients for traditional Asian medicines. Markhor horns supposedly sell in China for over $2,200 a pound. Habitat loss and food competition from domestic livestock has also reduced their numbers. It is estimated that there are only a few thousand left. In the wild, Markhor are also hunted by wolves, snow leopards, and lynx.

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Musk Ox

The Muskox is actually one of the animals that did not make my Alaska Week final cut, but here they are now! By popular demand! Muskoxen are large arctic bovids that can be found throughout Canada, Alaska, Siberia and Scandinavia. They live farther north than any other hoofed mammal. Despite the name they are actually more closely related to goats and sheep than they are to actual oxen.

Defensive Formation from AlaskaOne

Muskoxen haven't changed a whole lot since the last ice age, and have probably existed pretty much as-is for 600,000 years. They are perfectly adapted to the arctic climate with long guard hairs growing nearly two feet long and thick, woolly undercoats. The guard coat protects against the elements, as well as insects. The undercoat of a Muskox is 8 times warmer than sheep wool! They can continue to function at temperatures of -40°C. Most the males and females of the species have horns, though those of the bulls are larger. The average adult weighs around 650lbs, with the males out-sizing the females. The top weight for Muskoxen is nearly 900lbs.

While we're on the topic of weight, calves are around 20-30lbs at birth and will reach well over 200 by their first year. Muskoxen are harem breeders, meaning one bull will mate with multiple females. Males of the species will fight each other over mates. One practice they take part in is starting about 150ft apart and then charging at each other at 25mph before headbutting. Females give birth about once every two years. The calves must stick close to their woolly parents for fear of freezing.

Cow and Calf from Alaska In Pictures

Muskoxen have few predators in the wild. Wolves are one of the handful of species that can take down fullgrown adults. When threatened, the Muskoxen form a circle with all of the bulls and cows facing outwards, protecting the calves within the circle. Unfortunately, this formation does not protect them against bullets, as the Muskoxen were almost hunted to complete extinction. The currently populations in Siberia and Scandinavia were reintroduced, as the native herds had been killed off decades earlier.

Thanks John for the suggestion!

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