(Capra hircus)

Location: Originally from Africa

Human use: Meat and milk production

Pygmy goats are small, horned goats that were used for meat and milk production. They stand between 16 and 23 inches tall at the shoulder. Coat color varies greatly and can be white, black or anything in between. Many pygmy goats have an agouti pattern. This is a mix of fur color that gives a grizzled gray appearance. This breed of goat is common today.

Pygmy goats were first brought to the United States in 1959. Some people raise them as pets, but they were originally raised for food. This goat has been called the Cameroon Dwarf Goat because it came from West Africa and the former French Cameroon. These goats were first exported to zoos in Sweden and Germany, and then crossed the Atlantic to the United States. Pygmy goats diet consists of grain, hay, and some foliage.

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