Matthew Gilmore, age 13, of Casper, Wyo., for his question:
WHY IS THE GOAT SO SURE FOOTED?
Goat is the common name for a number of species of cloven hoofed, horned animals. In the wild, goats are nomadic and are generally found in mountainous habitats. They are agile, sure footed animals adept at making long, flying leaps from rock to rock, landing with both front feet close together.
The goat's sure footedness is due partly to the construction of the hoofs. The subunguis, or inner layer of material of the hoof, is softer then the unguis, which is the outer layer. The subunguis wears away more quickly than the unguis.
Acting as a shock absorber, the subunguis takes the punishment away from the pounding that rocky terrain gives the hoofs. As it wears away, it keeps the hoofs constantly supplied with hard edges.
Wild goats are gregarious. They actually seem to enjoy the company of others in their group and they like to socialize. The only exception is the older male, or buck. He tends to live by himself, although sometimes he serves as a sentinel or scout on the outer edges of a herd.
Wild goats feed on greens in pastures and, in the mountains, on the branches and leaves of shrubbery. The female is called a doe and has smaller horns than the male. The young are called kids.
A doe usually gives birth to two kids in the spring.
The goat is closely related to the sheep but differs from it in that the tail is shorter and the hollow horns are long and directed upward, backward and outward, while those of the sheep are spirally twisted. The males have beards, unlike sheep.
Goat's milk compares favorably in nutritive value with cow's milk and is more easily digested by many people. It is used extensively in the making of cheeses.
A number of breeds of goat are raised domestically throughout the world. These animals belong to a species called Capra hircus and are probably descended from the bezoar goat, among the most important of the wild goats that are found from Asia Minor to northeastern India.
Goats are used for meat, as a milk producer, as a pet and as a beast of burden. Many parts of the animal are valuable, such as the skin for leather and the pelts for rugs and robes.
One variety of domestic goat, important for its commercial value, is the Angora. The best Angora is covered over the entire body, except for the face and the legs below the knees, with long, fine, silky hair called mohair. The brilliant, transparent texture of mohair has made it a valuable material.
The Kashmir goat, a small animal native to Kashmir, India, is the source of fine wool for cashmere, from which the famed cashmere shawls and sweaters are made.
The Rocky Mountain goat of the United States is properly a goat antelope and is closely related to the European chamois.