We know how cute the baby goats are. The moment you see one of them, you’d certainly want to pick the little one up and cuddle it. Some of the recent researches show that they possess personalities that are similar to canines. Although goats have odd eyes and some species have weird facial hair, all of them have expressive faces.
These animals are believed to have been domesticated about 10,000 years ago. Over 200 breeds of domestic goats are found across the world in recent times. Goats of different species have varying colours and sizes. Usually, they feed on tree trunks and grass. Here are some of the other interesting facts about goats you probably don’t know:
1. They like smiling faces
A simple experiment revealed that these domestic animals prefer happy faces. The details of this experiment were published in the Royal Society Open Science. As a part of the experiment, researchers placed photos of the same face on the wall at a goat sanctuary. One was a happy face while the other was an angry one. Goats were seen avoiding the photo with an angry faces.
However, they had a strange attraction towards the happy face and explored it with their snouts. It was already known to the researchers that goats understood human body language, but this behaviour was quite unexpected. It took things a little further. Goats could clearly distinguish between the expressions and they obviously liked smiling faces.
2. They’re picky eaters
You might be under the impression that goats would eat anything. In many of the cartoon or comic series, you must’ve seen a goat gnawing on a tin. You must understand that this is far from being true. Goats are actually quite picky when it comes to food. They go for the most nutritious offerings and are very resourceful. They like tree bark, as it is rich in tannins. The thinnest patches of grass are also eaten by them.
3. The shape of their eyes have a purpose
Some people don’t like the odd pupils in the eyes of goats. A study was published in Science Advances in the year 2015. The researchers examined the eyes of more than 200 land animals as a part of this study. They found an astonishing correlation between the shape of goats’ pupils and their ecology.
Their side-slanted eyes help them while feeding on grass. They give them a wider field of vision without absorbing as much light coming from above. So, their vision is not affected by the sun’s rays. It also helps them in keeping an eye on their predators.
4. Goats are quite emotional
Many people are not aware of the fact that goats are very emotional animals. They’re surprisingly intelligent and can learn to perform a task within about twelve attempts. Another amazing fact about goats is that they can identify their companions just by hearing their sounds. By listening to the calls of other goats, they can also understand their emotions.
A study published in ‘Frontiers in Zoology’ had some interesting details. It was found by researchers that goats have different physiological reactions based on emotions heard from other goats. It’s a social phenomenon called ’emotional contagion.