The domestic goat (''Capra aegagrus hircus'') is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the Bovidae family and is closely related to the sheep as both are in the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae. There are over three hundred distinct breeds of goat.

Goats are one of the oldest domesticated species. Goats have been used for their milk, meat, hair, and skins over much of the world. In the twentieth century they also gained in popularity as pets.

Female goats are referred to as ''does'' or ''nannies'', intact males as ''bucks'' or ''billies''; their offspring are ''kids''. Note that many goat breeders prefer the terms "buck" and "doe" to "billy" and "nanny". Castrated males are ''wethers''. Goat meat from younger animals is called ''kid'' or ''cabrito'', and from older animals is sometimes called ''chevon'', or in some areas “mutton”.

Etymology

The Modern English word ''goat'' comes from the Old English ''gāt'' which meant "she-goat", and this in turn derived from Proto-Germanic ''*gaitaz'' (cf. Old Norse and Dutch ''geit'' "goat", German ''Geiß'' "she-goat", and Gothic ''gaits'' "goat"), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ''*ghaidos'' meaning "young goat" (cf. Latin ''haedus'' "kid"), itself perhaps from a root meaning "jump" (assuming that Old Church Slavonic ''zajęcǐ'' "hare", Sanskrit ''jihīte'' "he moves" are related). To refer to the male of the species, Old English used ''bucca'' (which survives as "buck") until a shift to ''he-goat'' (and ''she-goat'') occurred in the late 12th century. "Nanny goat" originated in the 18th century and "billy goat" in the 19th.

History

Goats are among the earliest animals domesticated by humans. The most recent genetic analysis confirms the archaeological evidence that the Anatolian Zagros are the likely origin of almost all domestic goats today. Another major genetic source of modern goats is the Bezoar goat, distributed from the mountainous regions of Asia Minor across the Middle East to Sind.

Neolithic farmers began to keep goats for access to milk and meat, primarily, as well as for their dung, which was used as fuel, and their bones, hair, and sinew for clothing, building, and tools. The earliest remnants of domesticated goats dating 10,000 years before present are found in Ganj Dareh in Iran. Goat remains have been found at archaeological sites in Jericho, Choga, Mami, Djeitun and Cayonu, dating the domestication of goats in western Asia at between 8000 and 9000 years ago.

Historically, goat hide has been used for water and wine bottles in both traveling and transporting wine for sale. It has also been used to produce parchment.

Anatomy and health

Most goats naturally have two horns, of various shapes and sizes depending on the breed. All goats have horns unless they are "polled" meaning they have one parent with a dominant polled gene. There have been incidents of polycerate goats (having as many as eight horns), although this is a genetic rarity thought to be inherited. Their horns are made of living bone surrounded by keratin and other proteins, and are used for defense, dominance, and territoriality.

Goats are ruminants. They have a four-chambered stomach consisting of the rumen, the reticulum, the omasum, and the abomasum. As with other mammal ruminants, they are even-toed ungulates. The females have an udder consisting of two teats, in contrast to cattle, which have four teats.

Goats have horizontal slit-shaped pupils, an adaptation which increases peripheral depth perception. Because goats' irises are usually pale, the pupils are much more visible than in animals with horizontal pupils, but very dark irises, such as cattle, deer, most horses and many sheep.

Both male and female goats have beards, and many types of goat (most commonly dairy goats, dairy-cross boers, and pygmy goats) may have wattles, one dangling from each side of the neck.

Some breeds of sheep and goats look similar, but they can usually be told apart because goat tails are short and point up, whereas sheep tails hang down and are usually longer and bigger – though some (like those of Northern European short-tailed sheep) are short, and longer ones are often docked.

Reproduction

Goats reach puberty between 3 and 15 months of age, depending on breed and nutrition status. Many breeders prefer to postpone breeding until the doe has reached 70% of the adult weight. However, this separation is rarely possible in extensively managed, open range herds.

In temperate climates and among the Swiss breeds, the breeding season commences as the day length shortens, and ends in early spring or before. In equatorial regions, goats are able to breed at any time of the year. Successful breeding in these regions depends more on available forage than on day length. Does of any breed or region come into heat every 21 days for 2 to 48 hours. A doe in heat typically flags (vigorously wags) her tail often, stays near the buck if one is present, becomes more vocal, and may also show a decrease in appetite and milk production for the duration of the heat.

Bucks (intact males) of Swiss and northern breeds come into rut in the fall as with the doe's heat cycles. Bucks of equatorial breeds may show seasonal reduced fertility but, as with the does, are capable of breeding at all times. Rut is characterized by a decrease in appetite and obsessive interest in the does. A buck in rut will display flehmen lip curling and will urinate on his forelegs and face. Sebaceous scent glands at the base of the horns add to the male goat's odor, which is important to make him attractive to the female. Some does will not mate with a buck which has been de-scented.

In addition to natural mating, artificial insemination has gained popularity among goat breeders, as it allows easy access to a wide variety of bloodlines. Gestation length is approximately 150 days. Twins are the usual result, with single and triplet births also common. Less frequent are litters of quadruplet, quintuplet, and even sextuplet kids. Birthing, known as ''kidding'', generally occurs uneventfully. Just before kidding, the doe will have a sunken area around the tail and hip, as well as heavy breathing. She may have a worried look, become restless and display great affection for her keeper. The mother often eats the placenta, which gives her much needed nutrients, helps stanch her bleeding, and parallels the behavior of wild herbivores such as deer to reduce the lure of the birth scent for predators.

''Freshening'' (coming into milk production) occurs at kidding. Milk production varies with the breed, age, quality, and diet of the doe; dairy goats generally produce between 660 to 1,800 L (1,500 and 4,000 lb) of milk per 305 day lactation. On average, a good quality dairy doe will give at least 6 lb (2.7 l) of milk per day while she is in milk. A first time milker may produce less, or as much as 16 lb (7.3 l), or more of milk in exceptional cases. After the 305 day lactation, the doe will "dry off", typically after she has been bred. Occasionally, goats that have not been bred and are continuously milked will continue lactation beyond the typical 305 days. Meat, fibre, and pet breeds are not usually milked and simply produce enough for the kids until weaning.

Western European-origin goats without horns (polled) frequently produce intersex offspring. These are generally female animals with male characteristics, and are infertile.

Male lactation is also known to occur in goats.

Diet

Goats are reputed to be willing to eat almost anything, including tin cans and cardboard boxes. While goats will not actually eat inedible material, they are browsing animals, not grazers like cattle and sheep, and (coupled with their natural curiosity) will chew on and taste just about anything resembling plant matter in order to decide whether it is good to eat, including cardboard and paper labels from tin cans. Another possibility is that the goats are curious about the unusual smells of leftover food in discarded cans or boxes.

Aside from sampling many things, goats are quite particular in what they actually consume, preferring to browse on the tips of woody shrubs and trees, as well as the occasional broad-leaved plant. However, it can fairly be said that their plant diet is extremely varied, and includes some species which are otherwise toxic. They will seldom consume soiled food or contaminated water unless facing starvation. This is one reason goat rearing is most often free ranging, since stall-fed goat rearing involves extensive upkeep and is seldom commercially viable.

Goats prefer to browse on shrubbery and weeds, more like deer than sheep, preferring them to grasses. Nightshade is poisonous; wilted fruit tree leaves can also kill goats. Silage (corn stalks) is not good for goats, but haylage can be used if consumed immediately after opening. Alfalfa is their favorite hay; fescue is the least palatable and least nutritious. Mold in a goat's feed can make it sick and possibly kill it. Goats should not be fed grass showing any signs of mold.

The digestive physiology of a very young kid (like the young of other ruminants) is essentially the same as that of a monogastric animal. Milk digestion begins in the abomasum, the milk having bypassed the rumen via closure of the reticular/esophageal groove during suckling. At birth, the rumen is undeveloped, but as the kid begins to consume solid feed, the rumen soon increases in size and in its capacity to absorb nutrients.

Behavior

Goats are extremely curious and intelligent. They are easily trained to pull carts and walk on leads. Ches McCartney, nicknamed "the goat man", toured the United States for over three decades in a wagon pulled by a herd of pet goats. They are also known for escaping their pens. Goats will test fences, either intentionally or simply because they are handy to climb on. If any of the fencing can be spread, pushed over or down, or otherwise be overcome, the goats will escape. Being very intelligent, once a weakness in the fence has been discovered, it will be exploited repeatedly. Goats are very coordinated and can climb and hold their balance in the most precarious places. Goats are also widely known for their ability to climb trees, although the tree generally has to be on somewhat of an angle. The vocalization goats make is called bleating.

Goats have an intensely inquisitive and intelligent nature: they will explore anything new or unfamiliar in their surroundings. They do so primarily with their prehensile upper lip and tongue. This is why they investigate items such as buttons, camera cases or clothing (and many other things besides) by nibbling at them, occasionally even eating them.

When handled as a group, goats tend to display less clumping behavior than sheep, and when grazing undisturbed, tend to spread across the field or range, rather than feed side-by-side as do sheep. When nursing young, goats will leave their kids separated ("lying out") rather than clumped as do sheep. They will generally turn and face an intruder and bucks are more likely to charge or butt at humans than are rams.

Diseases

While goats are generally considered hardy animals and in many situations receive little medical care, they are subject to a number of diseases.

Among the conditions affecting goats are respiratory diseases, including pneumonia, foot rot, internal parasites, pregnancy toxosis and feed toxicity.

Goats can become infected with various viral and bacterial diseases such as foot-and-mouth disease, caprine arthritis encephalitis, caseous lymphadenitis, pinkeye, mastitis, and pseudorabies. They can transmit a number of zoonotic diseases to people, such as tuberculosis, brucellosis, Q-fever, and rabies.

Life expectancy

Life expectancy for goats is between 15 and 18 years. An instance of a goat reaching the age of 24 has been reported.

Several factors can reduce this average expectancy, however; problems during kidding can lower a doe's expected life span to 10 or 11, and stresses of going into rut can lower a buck's expected life span to 8 or 10.

Goats in agriculture

A goat is useful to humans either living or dead, first as a renewable provider of milk, manure, and fiber, and then as meat and hide. Some charities provide goats to impoverished people in poor countries, because goats are easier and cheaper to manage than cattle, and have multiple uses. In addition, goats are used for driving and packing purposes.

For instance, the intestine is used to make "catgut", which is still in use as a material for internal human surgical sutures and strings for musical instruments. The horn of the goat, which signifies wellbeing (Cornucopia), is also used to make spoons.

Worldwide goat population statistics

According to the FAO, the top producers of goat milk in 2008 were India (4 million metric tons), Bangladesh (2.16 million metric tons) and the Sudan (1.47 metric tons.)

Husbandry

Husbandry, or animal care and use, varies from region to region and from culture to culture. The particular housing used for goats depends not only on the intended use of the goat but also on the region of the world where they are raised. Historically, domestic goats were generally kept in herds that wandered on hills or other grazing areas, often tended by goatherds who were frequently children or adolescents, similar to the more widely known shepherd. These methods of herding are still used today.

In some parts of the world, especially Europe and North America, distinct breeds of goat are kept for dairy (milk) and for meat production. As with cattle, only the females give milk. Excess male kids of dairy breeds are typically slaughtered for meat. Both does and bucks of meat breeds may be slaughtered for meat, as well as older animals of any breed. The meat of older bucks (more than 1 year old) is generally considered not desirable for meat for human consumption. Castration at a young age prevents the development of typical buck odor.

Dairy goats are generally pastured in summer and may be stabled during the winter. As dairy does are milked daily, they are generally kept close to the milking shed. Their grazing is typically supplemented with hay and with concentrates. Stabled goats may be kept in stalls similar to horses, or in larger group pens. In the US system, does are generally re-bred annually. In some European commercial dairy systems, the does are bred only twice, and are milked continuously for several years after the second kidding.

Meat goats are more frequently pastured year-round, and may be kept many miles from barns. Angora and other fiber breeds are also kept on pasture or range. Range-kept and pastured goats may be supplemented with hay or concentrates, but this happens most frequently during the winter or dry seasons.

In India, Nepal, and much of Asia, goats are kept largely for milk production, both in commercial and household settings. The goats in this area may be kept closely housed or may be allowed to range for fodder. The Salem Black goat is herded to pasture in fields and along roads during the day but is kept penned at night for safe-keeping.

In Africa and the Mideast, goats are typically run in flocks with sheep. This maximizes the production per acre, as goats and sheep prefer different food plants. Multiple types of goat-raising are found in Ethiopia, where four main types of goat raising have been identified: goats kept pastured in annual crop systems, goats kept in perennial crop systems, goats kept with cattle, and goats kept in arid areas under pastoral (nomadic) herding systems. In all four systems, however, goats were typically kept in extensive systems, with few purchased inputs. Household goats are traditionally kept in Nigeria. While many goats are allowed to wander the homestead or village, others are kept penned and fed in what is called a 'cut-and-carry' system. This type of husbandry is also used in parts of Latin America. Cut-and-carry, which refers to the practice of cutting down grasses, corn or cane for feed rather than allowing the animal access to the field, is particularly suited for types of feed, such as corn or cane, that are easily destroyed by trampling.

Pet goats may be found in many parts of the world when a family keeps one or more animals for emotional reasons rather than as production animals. It is becoming more common for goats to be kept exclusively as pets in North America and Europe.

Meat

The taste of goat kid meat is similar to that of spring lamb meat; in fact, in the English-speaking islands of the Caribbean, and in some parts of Asia, particularly Pakistan and India, the word “mutton” is used to describe both goat and lamb meat. However, some compare the taste of goat meat to veal or venison, depending on the age and condition of the goat. Its flavor is said to be primarily linked to the presence of 4-methyloctanoic and 4-methylnonanoic acid. It can be prepared in a variety of ways including stewed, baked, grilled, barbecued, minced, canned, fried, curried, or made into sausage. Due to its low fat content, the meat can toughen at high temperatures without additional moisture. One of the most popular goats grown for meat is the South African Boer, introduced into the United States in the early 1990s. The New Zealand Kiko is also considered a meat breed, as is the myotonic or "fainting goat", a breed originating in Tennessee.

Milk, butter and cheese

Goats produce approximately 2% of the world's total annual milk supply. Some goats are bred specifically for milk. If the strong-smelling buck is not separated from the does, his scent will affect the milk.

Doe milk naturally has small, well-emulsified fat globules, which means the cream remains suspended in the milk, instead of rising to the top, as in raw cow milk; therefore, it does not need to be homogenized. Indeed, if the milk is going to be used to make cheese it is recommended that it is not homogenized as this changes the structure of the milk impacting the culture's ability to coagulate the milk and the final quality and yield of cheese.

Dairy goats in their prime, which is generally around the third or fourth lactation cycle, average 6 to 8 pounds (2.7 to 3.6 kg) of milk production daily (roughly 3 to 4 US quarts (2.7 to 3.6 liters)) during a ten-month lactation, producing more just after freshening and gradually dropping in production toward the end of their lactation. The milk generally averages 3.5 percent butterfat. A doe may be expected to reach her heaviest production during her third or fourth lactation.

Doe milk is commonly processed into cheese, butter, ice cream, yoghurt, cajeta and other products. Goat cheese is known as ''chèvre'' in France, after the French word for "goat". Some varieties include Rocamadour and Montrachet. Goat butter is white because goats produce milk with the yellow beta-carotene converted to a colorless form of vitamin A.

Nutrition

The American Academy of Pediatrics discourages feeding infants milk derived from goats. An April 2010 case report summarizes their recommendation and presents "a comprehensive review of the consequences associated with this dangerous practice," also stating, "Many infants are exclusively fed unmodified goat's milk as a result of cultural beliefs as well as exposure to false online information. Anecdotal reports have described a host of morbidities associated with that practice, including severe electrolyte abnormalities, metabolic acidosis, megaloblastic anemia, allergic reactions including life-threatening anaphylactic shock, hemolytic uremic syndrome, and infections." Untreated caprine brucellosis results in a 2% case fatality rate. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), doe milk is not recommended for human infants because it contains "inadequate quantities of iron, folate, vitamins C and D, thiamin, niacin, vitamin B6, and pantothenic acid to meet an infant’s nutritional needs" and may cause harm to an infant's kidneys and could cause metabolic damage.

The Department of Health in the United Kingdom has repeatedly released statements stating on various occasions that "Goats' milk is not suitable for babies, and infant formulas and follow-on formulas based on goats' milk protein have not been approved for use in Europe," and "infant milks based on goats' milk protein are not suitable as a source of nutrition for infants.".

On the other hand, some farming groups promote the practice. For example Small Farm Today in 2005 claimed beneficial use in invalid and convalescent diets, proposing that glycerol ethers, possibly important in nutrition for nursing infants, are much higher in doe milk than in cow milk. A 1970 book on animal breeding claimed that doe milk differs from cow or human milk by having higher digestibility, distinct alkalinity, higher buffering capacity, and certain therapeutic values in human medicine and nutrition. George Mateljan suggested that doe milk can replace ewe milk or cow milk in diets of those who are allergic to certain mammals' milk. However, like cow milk, doe milk has lactose (sugar), and may cause gastrointestinal problems for individuals with lactose intolerance. In fact, the level of lactose is similar to that of bovine milk.

+ Basic composition of various milks (mean values per 100g)	! Constituent	! Doe (Goat)	! Cow	! Human
! Fat (g)	3.8	3.6	4.0
! Protein (g)	3.5	3.3	1.2
! Lactose (g)	4.1	4.6	6.9
! Ash (g)	0.8	0.7	0.2
! Total solids (g)	12.2	12.3	12.3
! Calories	70	69	68

+ Milk composition analysis, per 100 grams
! Constituents	! unit	! Cow	! Doe(Goat)	! Ewe(Sheep)	Water Buffalo>Waterbuffalo
		87.8	88.9	83.0	81.1
		3.2	3.1	5.4	4.5
		3.9	3.5	6.0	8.0
		4.8	4.4	5.1	4.9
		66	60	95	110
		275	253	396	463
		4.8	4.4	5.1	4.9
		14	10	11	8
		120	100	170	195
		2.4	2.3	3.8	4.2
		1.1	0.8	1.5	1.7
		0.1	0.1	0.3	0.2

These compositions vary by breed, animal, and point in the lactation period.

Fiber

The Angora breed of goats produces long, curling, lustrous locks of mohair. The entire body of the goat is covered with mohair and there are no guard hairs. The locks constantly grow and can be four inches or more in length. Angora crossbreeds, such as the pygora and the nigora, have been created to produce mohair and/or cashgora on a smaller, easier-to-manage animal. The wool is shorn (cut from the body) twice a year, with an average yield of about 10 pounds.

Most goats have softer insulating hairs nearer the skin, and longer guard hairs on the surface. The desirable fiber for the textile industry is the former, and it goes by several names (down, cashmere and pashmina). The coarse guard hairs are of little value as they are too coarse, difficult to spin and difficult to dye. The cashmere goat produces a commercial quantity of cashmere wool, which is one of the most expensive natural fibers commercially produced; cashmere is very fine and soft. The cashmere goat fiber is harvested once a year, yielding around 9 ounces (200 grammes) of down.

In South Asia, cashmere is called "pashmina" (from Persian ''pashmina'', "fine wool"). In the 18th and early 19th century, Kashmir (then called Cashmere by the English), had a thriving industry producing shawls from goat down imported from Tibet and Tartary through Ladakh. The shawls were introduced into Western Europe when the General in Chief of the French campaign in Egypt (1799–1802) sent one to Paris. Since these shawls were produced in the upper Kashmir and Ladakh region, the wool came to be known as "cashmere".

Land clearing

Goats have been used by humans to clear unwanted vegetation for centuries. They have been described as "eating machines" and "biological control agents". There has been a resurgence of this in North America since 1990 when herds were used to clear dry brush from California hillsides thought to be endangered from potential wildfires. Since then numerous public and private agencies have hired private herds to perform similar tasks. This practice has become popular in the Pacific Northwest are where they are used to remove invasive species not easily removed by humans, including (thorned) blackberry vines and Poison Oak.

Goat breeds

Goat breeds fall into overlapping, general categories. They are generally distributed in to those used for dairy, fiber, meat, skins, and as companion animals. Some breeds are also particularly noted as pack goats.

Showing

Goat breeders' clubs frequently hold shows, where goats are judged on traits relating to conformation, udder quality, evidence of high production, longevity, build and muscling (meat goats and pet goats) and fiber production and the fiber itself (fiber goats). People who show their goats usually keep registered stock and the offspring of award-winning animals command a higher price. Registered goats, in general, are usually higher-priced if for no other reason than that records have been kept proving their ancestry and the production and other data of their sires, dams, and other ancestors. A registered doe is usually less of a gamble than buying a doe at random (as at an auction or sale barn) because of these records and the reputation of the breeder. Children's clubs such as 4-H also allow goats to be shown. Children's shows often include a showmanship class, where the cleanliness and presentation of both the animal and the exhibitor as well as the handler's ability and skill in handling the goat are scored. In a showmanship class, conformation is irrelevant since this is not what is being judged.

Various "Dairy Goat Scorecards" (milking does) are systems used for judging shows in the US. The American Dairy Goat Association (ADGA) scorecard for an adult doe includes a point system of a hundred total with major categories that include general appearance, the dairy character of a doe (physical traits that aid and increase milk production), body capacity, and specifically for the mammary system. Young stock and bucks are judged by different scorecards which place more emphasis on the other three categories; general appearance, body capacity, and dairy character.

The American Goat Society (AGS) has a similar, but not identical scorecard that is used in their shows. The miniature dairy goats may be judged by either of the two scorecards. The "Angora Goat scorecard" used by the Colored Angora Goat Breeder's Association CAGBA (which covers the white and the colored goats) includes evaluation of an animal's fleece color, density, uniformity, fineness, and general body confirmation. Disqualifications include: a deformed mouth, broken down pasterns, deformed feet, crooked legs, abnormalities of testicles, missing testicles, more than 3 inch split in scrotum, and close-set or distorted horns.

Religion, mythology, and folklore

According to Norse mythology, the god of thunder, Thor, has a chariot that is pulled by the goats Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr. At night when he sets up camp, Thor eats the meat of the goats, but take care that all bones remain whole. Then he wraps the remains up, and in the morning, the goats always come back to life to pull the chariot. When a farmer's son who is invited to share the meal breaks one of the goats' leg bones to suck the marrow, the animal's leg remains broken in the morning, and the boy is forced to serve Thor as a servant to compensate for the damage.

Possibly related, the Yule Goat is one of the oldest Scandinavian and Northern European Yule and Christmas symbols and traditions. Yule Goat originally denoted the goat that was slaughtered around Yule, but it may also indicate a goat figure made out of straw. It is also used about the custom of going door-to-door singing carols and getting food and drinks in return, often fruit, cakes and sweets. "Going Yule Goat" is similar to the British custom wassailing, both with heathen roots. The Gävle Goat is a giant version of the Yule Goat, erected every year in the Swedish city of Gävle.

The Greek god, Pan, is said to have the upper body of a man and the horns and lower body of a goat. Pan was a very lustful god, nearly all of the myths involving him had to do with him chasing nymphs. He is also credited with creating the pan flute.

The goat is one of the twelve-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. Each animal is associated with certain personality traits; those born in a year of the goat are predicted to be shy, introverted, creative, and perfectionist. See Goat (zodiac).

Several mythological hybrid creatures are believed to consist of parts of the goat, including the Chimera. The Capricorn sign in the Western zodiac is usually depicted as a goat with a fish's tail. Fauns and satyrs are mythological creatures that are part goat and part human. The mineral bromine is named from the Greek word "brόmos," which means "stench of he-goats."

Goats are mentioned many times in the Bible. A goat is considered a "clean" animal by Jewish dietary laws and was slaughtered for an honored guest. It was also acceptable for some kinds of sacrifices. Goat-hair curtains were used in the tent that contained the tabernacle (Exodus 25:4). Its horns can be used instead of sheep's horn to make a shofar. On Yom Kippur, the festival of the Day of Atonement, two goats were chosen and lots were drawn for them. One was sacrificed and the other allowed to escape into the wilderness, symbolically carrying with it the sins of the community. From this comes the word "scapegoat". A leader or king was sometimes compared to a male goat leading the flock. In the New Testament, Jesus told a parable of The Sheep and the Goats. (Gospel of Matthew 25)

Popular Christian folk tradition in Europe associated Satan with imagery of goats (see Pan (mythology)). A common superstition in the Middle Ages was that goats whispered lewd sentences in the ears of the saints. The origin of this belief was probably the behavior of the buck in rut, the very epitome of lust. The common medieval depiction of the Devil was that of a goat-like face with horns and small beard (a goatee). The Black Mass, a probably-mythological "Satanic mass," was said to involve a black goat, the form in which Satan supposedly manifested himself for worship.

The goat has had a lingering connection with Satanism and pagan religions, even into modern times. The inverted pentagram, a symbol used in Satanism, is said to be shaped like a goat's head. The "Baphomet of Mendes" refers to a satanic goat-like figure from 19th century occultism.

Feral goats

Goats readily revert to the wild (become feral) if given the opportunity. The only domestic animal known to return to feral life as swiftly is the cat. Feral goats have established themselves in many areas: they occur in Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain, the Galapagos and in many other places. When feral goats reach large populations in habitats which are not adapted to them, they may have serious effects, such as removing native scrub, trees and other vegetation. Feral goats are common in Australia. However, in other circumstances they may become a natural component of the habitat.

See also

List of goat breeds

Pygmy goat

Mountain goat

List of infectious sheep and goat diseases

Dairy goat breeds

Fiber-producing goat breeds

Goatskin-producing goat breeds

Meat goat breeds

Goat breeds

Feral goats

Livestock

Sheep

References

External links

Goat breeds from the Department of Animal Science, Oklahoma State University

The American Dairy Goat Association

British Goat Society

Goat-Link

Pygmy Goat Club (United Kingdom)

International Goat Association

International Livestock Research Institute

North American Packgoats Association

Food and Animal Organization of the United Nations

Category:Capra Category:Goat's-milk cheeses Category:Livestock Category:Meat Category:Herbivorous animals Category:Animals described in 1758

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name	Adam Sandler
birth name	Adam Richard Sandler
birth date	September 09, 1966
birth place	Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
occupation	Actor, comedian, musician, songwriter, screenwriter, film producer
years active	1987–present
spouse	Jackie Sandler (2003–present)(two children)
website	AdamSandler.com }}

Adam Richard Sandler (born September 9, 1966) is an American actor, comedian, singer, screenwriter, musician, and film producer.

After becoming a ''Saturday Night Live'' cast member, Sandler went on to star in several Hollywood feature films that grossed over $100 million at the box office. He is best known for his comedic roles, such as in the films ''Billy Madison'' (1995), ''Happy Gilmore'' (1996), ''Big Daddy'' (1999), and ''Mr. Deeds'' (2002), though he has ventured into more dramatic territory. In 1999, Sandler founded Happy Madison, a film and television production company that has produced numerous films and developed the 2007 television series ''Rules of Engagement''.

Early life

Adam Sandler was born in Brooklyn, New York to Jewish parents, Stanley, an electrical engineer, and Judy Sandler, a nursery school teacher. When he was five, his family moved to Manchester, New Hampshire, where he attended Manchester Central High School. He found he was a natural comic, and nurtured his talent while at New York University by performing regularly in clubs and on campuses. Sandler graduated from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts in 1988.

Later in his career, he would draw on his earliest experiences for material for his comedy and movies. The song "Lunchlady Land" from his debut album ''They're All Gonna Laugh at You!'' is dedicated to Emalee, the lunchlady at Hayden Dining Hall at New York University.

Career

Acting career

In the mid to late 1980s, Sandler played Theo Huxtable's friend, Smitty, on ''The Cosby Show'' (1987–1988). He was a performer for the MTV game show ''Remote Control'', on which he made appearances as the characters "Trivia Delinquent" or "Stud Boy". Early in his career, Sandler performed in comedy clubs, taking the stage at his brother's urging when he was only 17. He was discovered by comedian Dennis Miller, who caught Sandler's act in Los Angeles. Miller recommended him to ''Saturday Night Live'' producer Lorne Michaels. Sandler was hired as a writer for ''SNL'' in 1990 and became a featured player the following year, making a name for himself by performing amusing original songs on the show, including "The Chanukah Song". Sandler told Conan O'Brien on ''The Tonight Show'' that NBC fired him and Chris Farley from the show in 1995.

Sandler's first starring role was in 1989, in the film ''Going Overboard''. In 1994 he co-starred in ''Airheads'' with Brendan Fraser, and Steve Buscemi. He starred in ''Billy Madison'' (1995) as a grown, though uneducated, man repeating grades 1–12 to earn back his father's respect, along with the right to inherit his father's multi-million-dollar hotel empire. In ''At the Movies'', Siskel and Ebert gave the film a very bad review, and said of Sandler "...Not an attractive screen presence, he might have a career as a villain or a fall guy or the butt of a joke, but as the protagonist his problem is he creates the fingernails on the blackboard" with Siskel adding "...you don't have a good motivation for the character's behavior". He followed this film with other financially successful comedies such as ''Bulletproof'' (1996), ''Happy Gilmore'' (1996) and ''The Wedding Singer'' (1998). He was initially cast in the bachelor-party-themed comedy/thriller ''Very Bad Things'' (1998), but had to back out due to his involvement in ''The Waterboy'' (1998) one of his first hits.

Although his earlier films did not receive critical praise, his more recent films, beginning with ''Punch-Drunk Love'' (2002), have received more positive reviews. Roger Ebert, in his review of ''Punch-Drunk Love'', concluded that Sandler had been wasted in earlier films with poorly written scripts and characters with no development. Sandler has moved outside the genre of slapstick comedy to take on more serious parts such as the aforementioned ''Punch-Drunk Love'' (for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe), ''Spanglish'' (2004) and ''Reign Over Me'' (2007). He played a loving father figure in ''Big Daddy'' (1999). During filming, he met Jacqueline Samantha Titone—his future wife and mother of his two daughters -— who was cast as the waitress from The Blarney Stone Bar.

At one point, Sandler was considered for the part that went to Jamie Foxx in ''Collateral'' (2004). He also was one of the finalists along with Jim Carrey and Johnny Depp for the role of Willy Wonka in Tim Burton's ''Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' (2005). He returned to more dramatic fare with Mike Binder's ''Reign Over Me'' (2007), a drama about a man who loses his entire family in 9/11 and rekindles a friendship with his old college roommate (played by Don Cheadle). He starred in the film ''I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry'' (2007) alongside Kevin James, as a New York City fireman pretending to be gay to keep up an insurance scam so that his best friend's children can have benefits. Sandler headlined ''You Don't Mess with the Zohan'' (2008), a comedy about a Mossad agent who fakes his own death and moves to the United States to become a hair stylist. The film was written by Sandler, ''The 40-Year-Old Virgin'' writer-director Judd Apatow (who was an old roommate of Sandler's when both were starting out), and ''Triumph, the Insult Comic Dog'' creator Robert Smigel, and was directed by ''Happy Gilmore'' director Dennis Dugan.

"Like Will Ferrell, Sandler has layers of tenderness under layers of irony under layers of tenderness—plus a floating anger like Jupiter’s great red spot," wrote David Edelstein of ''New York'' magazine in a review of ''You Don't Mess with the Z''. "Some performers become stars because we can read them instantly, others—like Sandler—because we never tire of trying to get a fix on them."

Sandler starred in ''Bedtime Stories'' (2008), a fantasy film directed by ''Bringing Down the House'' director Adam Shankman, about a stressed hotel maintenance worker whose bedtime stories he reads to his niece and nephew begin to come true. This marked Sandler's first family film and first film under the Walt Disney banner. Keri Russell and English comedian Russell Brand co-starred.

In 2009, Sandler starred in Judd Apatow's third directorial feature ''Funny People''. He played a very successful stand up comedian who finds out he has a terminal illness and he takes a young inexperienced comic, played by Seth Rogen, under his wing. Other co-stars included Eric Bana and Apatow's wife, Leslie Mann. The film contained more dramatic elements than Apatow's previous efforts. Filming began in October 2008 and finished in January 2009. The film was released on July 31, 2009. At one point, Sandler was in talks to star in Quentin Tarantino's World War II film ''Inglourious Basterds'', which he confirmed, but he did not appear in it due to a scheduling conflict with ''Funny People''. Following the release of ''Funny People'', it, along with ''Punch-Drunk Love'' were cited in the June 2010 announcement that Sandler was one of 135 people (including 20 actors) invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Sandler appeared in ''Grown Ups'', teaming up with Kevin James, Chris Rock, Rob Schneider, and David Spade (all of whom have worked with Sandler before) for a film about five best friends from high school who reunite 30 years later on the July 4 weekend. Other costars include Salma Hayek (playing Sandler's wife), Maria Bello (playing James' wife), and fellow ''SNL'' alumna Maya Rudolph (playing Rock's wife), Colin Quinn, Tim Meadows, and Norm Macdonald. Sandler and ''Dickie Roberts'' scribe Fred Wolf wrote the script and Dennis Dugan directed the film.

Sandler starred in the 2011 film ''Just Go with It'', with Jennifer Aniston, a romantic comedy written by Allan Loeb and Tim Dowling and directed by Dennis Dugan. He played a plastic surgeon who asks his office manager, played by Aniston, to pose as his wife, in order to prove his honesty to his much younger girlfriend, played by Brooklyn Decker. Sandler also provided the voice of a capuchin monkey in Kevin James' ''Zookeeper'', released on July 8, 2011.

Sandler is set to release ''Jack & Jill'' on November 11, 2011. The film tells the story of a family man, played by Sandler, who gets a visit from his twin sister, also played by Sandler, and gets annoyed when she won't leave. Katie Holmes portrays his wife while Al Pacino appears as himself. He is also currently filming ''I Hate You, Dad'' with Andy Samberg, which tells the story of a man, played by Sandler, who fathered a son, played by Samberg, with his teacher in high school, and then, years later, visits his son on the eve of his son's wedding where he clashes with the bride, played by Leighton Meester.

Happy Madison Productions

Sandler formed his film production company, Happy Madison Productions, in 1999, first producing fellow ''SNL'' alumnus Rob Schneider's film ''Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo''. Happy Madison has produced all of Sandler's subsequent films to date with the exceptions ''Punch Drunk Love'' and ''Spanglish''. ''Reign Over Me'' and ''Funny People'' were produced by Happy Madison but under the subsidiary label "Madison 23".

Sandler is known for consistently working with a core group of friends and associates through Happy Madison, frequently casting fellow ''SNL'' performers in various roles in his films. Sandler and Happy Madison produced ''SNL'' contemporary Rob Schneider's vehicles ''Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo'' (1999), ''The Animal'' (2001), ''The Hot Chick'' (2002), and ''Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo'' (2005), and ''The Benchwarmers'' (2006), with Sandler making cameo appearances in the middle three. Meanwhile, Schneider has appeared in cameo roles in Sandler films ''The Waterboy'', ''Little Nicky'', ''Mr. Deeds'', ''Click'', ''The Longest Yard'', ''I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry'', and ''Bedtime Stories''. Schneider had larger roles in Sandler films ''Big Daddy'', ''50 First Dates'', ''Eight Crazy Nights'', ''You Don't Mess with the Zohan'', and ''Grown Ups''.

Happy Madison produced David Spade's ''Joe Dirt'', ''Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star'', and ''The Benchwarmers'', which also featured Rob Schneider. Spade additionally made a cameo appearance in ''I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry'' and had a prominent supporting role in ''Grown Ups''. Sandler cameoed as a special audience member in an episode of ''The Showbiz Show with David Spade''. ''SNL'' contemporary Kevin Nealon has appeared in nine Happy Madison productions or Sandler films, including ''Happy Gilmore'', ''The Wedding Singer'', ''Little Nicky'', ''Joe Dirt'', ''Eight Crazy Nights'', ''Anger Management'', ''Grandma's Boy'', ''You Don't Mess with the Zohan'' and the Dana Carvey vehicle, ''The Master of Disguise''.

Happy Madison also produced ''Paul Blart: Mall Cop'', the first starring vehicle for Kevin James. James had costarred with Sandler in ''I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry'' and ''Grown Ups'' and made a cameo appearance in ''You Don't Mess with the Zohan''. Happy Madison also produced James' second starring vehicle ''Zookeeper''.

He appeared as the featured guest on the final episode of John McEnroe's eponymous CNBC talk show, airing in late 2004. McEnroe appeared as himself in three of Sandler's films (''Mr. Deeds'', ''Anger Management'', and ''You Don't Mess with the Zohan'').

Anna Faris, who appeared in ''The Hot Chick'', became the first female actor to headline a production for Happy Madison with ''The House Bunny'' and will headline another film for Happy Madison in the near future.

Others who frequently appear in Sandler films include Steve Buscemi, Chris Rock, John Turturro, Jon Lovitz, Clint Howard, Norm Macdonald, Nick Swardson, and longtime Sandler pals Allen Covert, Peter Dante, and Jonathan Loughran. In particular Allen Covert plays unique and eccentric characters in Sandler's films. Most notably as a limo driver in ''The Wedding Singer'', Ten Second Tom in ''50 First Dates'', and Nicky's roommate in ''Little Nicky''. Covert starred in his first leading role in ''Grandma's Boy'', also produced by Happy Madison productions.

In June 2007, it was announced that Happy Madison had made a preemptive acquisition for Mitch Albom's screenwriting debut.

In June 2008, it was announced that Sandler will be executive producer for a horror thriller titled ''The Shortcut'' under a nascent genre label for Happy Madison called "Scary Madison".

In October 2009, it was announced that Sandler and Happy Madison will produce the Richard Pryor biopic ''Richard Pryor: Is It Something I Said?'' for Sony, the company's first major dramatic production. The film was written by Bill Condon, who is set to direct, and Pryor will be played by Marlon Wayans, who is replacing Eddie Murphy.

Personal life

On June 22, 2003, Sandler married actress Jacqueline Samantha Titone, and they are the parents of two daughters, Sadie Madison Sandler and Sunny Madeline Sandler. Sandler lives with his family in Los Angeles, although he also has a home in New York.

Political and charitable donations

In 2007, Sandler made a $1 million donation to the Boys and Girls Club in his hometown, Manchester, New Hampshire. He also donated $2,100 to Republican Rudy Giuliani's presidential campaign the same year, and is a registered Republican.

Filmography

style="background:#B0C4DE;"	Year	Film	Role	Notes
1989	''Going Overboard''	Schecky Moskowitz	First film role
1992	''Shakes the Clown''	Dink the Clown
1993		Carmine
	''Airheads''	Pip
''Mixed Nuts''	Louie
1995	''Billy Madison''	Billy Madison	Also writerNominated – MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance
	''Happy Gilmore''	Happy Gilmore
	Archie Moses	Nominated – Razzie Award for Worst Actor
	''The Wedding Singer''	Robbie Hart	Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actor – Comedy (Also for ''The Waterboy'')MTV Movie Award for Best KissNominated – American Comedy Award for Funniest Actor in a Motion Picture (Leading Role)Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic PerformanceNominated – MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Duo
	Satan
''The Waterboy''	Robert "Bobby" Boucher Jr.
		Sonny Koufax	Also executive producer and writerBlockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actor – ComedyKids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie ActorMTV Movie Award for Best Comedic PerformancePeople's Choice Award for Favorite Motion Picture Star in a ComedyRazzie Award for Worst ActorNominated – MTV Movie Award for Best Male PerformanceNominated – MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Duo (shared with Cole and Dylan Sprouse)Nominated – Razzie Award for Worst ScreenplayNominated – Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actor
''Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo''	Robert Justin	Cameo (voice only)
2000	''Little Nicky''	Nicky	Also executive producer and writerNominated – Razzie Award for Worst ActorNominated – Razzie Award for Worst Screenplay
2001	''The Animal''	Townie	Cameo executive producer
	''Mr. Deeds''	Longfellow Deeds	Also executive producerKids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie ActorNominated – MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic PerformanceNominated – Razzie Award for Worst ActorNominated – Teen Choice Award for Film – Choice Actor, Comedy
''Punch-Drunk Love''	Barry Egan	Gijón Internation Film Festival Award for Best ActorChlotrudis Award for Best ActorNominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or ComedyNominated – MTV Movie Award for Best KissNominated – Satellite Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
''Eight Crazy Nights''	Davey Stone	VoiceAlso producer and writerKids' Choice Award for Favorite Voice from an Animated Movie
''A Day with the Meatball''	Himself	Short film
''The Hot Chick''	Mambuza Bongo Guy (''uncredited'')	Cameo executive producer
	''Anger Management''	Dave Buznik	Also executive producer
''Pauly Shore Is Dead''	Himself	Documentary
''Stupidity''	Himself	Documentary
''The Couch''	Couch Testing Guy	Short Film
	''50 First Dates''	Henry Roth	Also executive producerKids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie ActorMTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Team (shared with Drew Barrymore)People's Choice Award for Favorite On-Screen Chemistry (shared with Drew Barrymore)Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Best Male Performance
	John Clasky
		Paul Crewe	Also executive producerPeople's Choice Award for Favorite Funny Male StarNominated – MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic PerformanceNominated – People's Choice Award for Favorite Leading Man
''Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo''	Javier Sandooski (''uncredited'')	Cameo Producer
2006		Michael Newman	Also producerKids' Choice Award for Favorite Male Movie StarNominated – MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic PerformanceNominated – People's Choice Award for Favorite Funny Male Star
	''Reign Over Me''	Charlie Fineman
''I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry''	Chuck Levine
	''You Don't Mess with the Zohan''	Zohan Dvir	Also producer and writer
	Skeeter Bronson	Also producerNominated – Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie Actor
	2009	''Funny People''	George Simmons
	2010		Lenny Feder	Also producer and writer
	''Just Go with It''	Dr. Danny Maccabee	Also producer
	Capuchin Monkey	Also producer
	Jack/Jill Sadelstein	Awaiting release
2012	''I Hate You, Dad''		Filming started in June 2011

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1987–1990
1987–1988	''The Cosby Show''	Smitty	Episodes: "Dance Mania""The Locker Room""The Visit""The Prom"
	''The Marshall Chronicles''	Usher	Episode: "Brightman SATyricon"
''ABC Afterschool Special''	Drug Dealer	Episode: "Testing Dirty"
1991–1995	''Saturday Night Live''	Various
2001	''Undeclared''	Himself
2003	''Couch''	Couch Testing Guy
2005	''Getaway''	Henry Roth	Episode: "Found"
2007	''The King of Queens''	Jeff "The Beast" Sussman

Discography

Title	Year	Notes
''They're All Gonna Laugh at You!''	1993	2x Platinum
''What the Hell Happened to Me?''	1996	2x Platinum
''What's Your Name?''	1997	Gold
''Stan and Judy's Kid''	1999	Gold
''Shhh...Don't Tell''	2004

References

External links

Official website

Category:1966 births Category:20th-century actors Category:20th-century writers Category:21st-century actors Category:21st-century writers Category:Actors from New Hampshire Category:Actors from New York City Category:American comedians Category:American comedy musicians Category:American film actors Category:American film producers Category:American Jews Category:American male singers Category:American musicians Category:American singers Category:American screenwriters Category:American stand-up comedians Category:American television actors Category:American television producers Category:American television writers Category:American voice actors Category:Former pupils of Manchester Central High School Category:Jewish actors Category:Jewish American musicians Category:Jewish comedians Category:New York University alumni Category:Living people Category:People from Brooklyn Category:People from Manchester, New Hampshire

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