# Saanen Goat (*Capra hircus*) The Saanen goat is a friendly and gentle animal known for its soft white fur. They love to nibble leaves and shrubs and are often found on farms, where they are kept for their milk. - **Category:** [Mammals](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/mammal) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Also known as:** Saanen Dairy Goat ![Saanen Goat](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771426769/objects/4464.jpg) ## Appearance The Saanen Goat is a large, sturdy dairy goat known for its striking pure white or creamy white coat. They have a straight facial profile, with upright ears, and can be naturally hornless or have horns. Their skin often shows a pinkish hue. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Mammalia - **Order:** Artiodactyla - **Family:** Bovidae - **Genus:** Capra ## Saanen goat, up close The Saanen is a Swiss breed of domestic goat (Capra hircus) named after the Saanen valley in the Bernese Oberland, in western Switzerland. It has a short white coat over pale skin and may be horned or hornless. Bred for milk, it is the most productive dairy goat in Switzerland and has spread to more than 80 countries. Also called: Saanen, Saanenziege. A snow-white coat over pale pink skin, sideways pupils that stay level, and a mum who remembers her kid's voice for months. Spin her, tap her, then test yourself. ### Special abilities - **Level Pupils** (~70° head dip the eyes correct for): Sideways-rectangle pupils give a wide view, and the eyes roll to keep them level when the head goes down to feed. [1] - Horizontal pupils are typical of prey animals with eyes on the sides of the head. They give a sharp, wide strip of view along the ground. - When the head tips down by about 70°, each eye counter-rolls by at least 0.7 of that angle, so the pupils stay roughly parallel to the ground. - So a goat with its head down in the leaves can keep scanning the horizon for danger. - **Cud Chewer** (~5.5 h cud chewing a day): Leaves go down to the rumen, come back up as cud, get chewed again, then go down for good. [5][9] - Goats are ruminants, like cattle and sheep. - Saanen goats in one study spent about 330 minutes a day chewing cud. - Cud chewing follows a daily rhythm, set partly by feeding time. - Kids start out digesting milk with a stomach that works like a simple one. - Cud chewing per day in three goat breeds: Saanen 330 min; Bligon 438 min; English goat 464 min - **Born Climber** (Trees goats even climb them): Goats are sure-footed climbers. Some even clamber into trees to reach fresh leaves. [5][8][10] - Goats can balance in places that look impossible, and they are the only ruminants that regularly climb trees. - Goats climb argan trees to browse. They spit out the seeds later while chewing cud, which can spread the trees. - Farm Saanens given climbing trunks, tyres and platforms become more active and stand up on their back legs to reach things. - **Face Reader** (Happy faces goats go to first; still debated): Shown a happy and an angry photo of the same person, goats went to the happy face first. [11][12] - Researchers fixed two photos of an unfamiliar person, one happy and one angry, 1.3 m apart on a wall. - Goats went to the happy face first, more often and for longer, but only when it hung on the right. On the left there was no clear preference. Scientists think one side of the brain may handle emotions. - Goats stuck on a puzzle box look at a person who faces them sooner and for longer than at one turned away. - It is one study at one sanctuary, so scientists want more tests. - **Kid-Call Memory** (Up to 13 months after weaning, calls still known): A mother goat learns her kid's bleat and still reacts to it long after the kid has grown up. [13] - Over long distances, mothers and kids recognise each other mainly by voice. - Scientists played recordings to mothers 7–13 months after weaning. The mothers reacted more to their own earlier kids than to other familiar kids. - This long memory for voices may help related goats stay close and avoid inbreeding, scientists think. - **High-Note Hearing** (37 kHz highest note heard): Goats hear from low hums to very high squeaks, and they are most sensitive around 2 kHz. [3] - Hearing tests found goats respond to sounds from 78 Hz to 37 kHz. - Pigs tested in the same study heard from 42 Hz to 40.5 kHz. - Scientists think hoofed animals use high notes to tell whether a sound comes from in front or behind. - **Milk Maker** (838 kg milk in one lactation): An x-ray of the udder: Saanens are bred to make plenty of milk, for their kids and for people. [2][4][14] - Swiss Saanens average 838 kg of milk in a lactation of 264 days: about 3.2 kg a day. - Breeders aim for more than 830 kg in 220 days, with over 3.42% fat and 2.98% protein. - Saanen milk is plentiful but less rich than Anglo-Nubian milk, which averages about 4.8% fat. - **Sun-Sensitive Skin** (Pale skin under the white coat): Under the white coat is pale skin that strong sun can harm, so Saanens need shade. [4][2][15] - The breed standard calls for fine, white skin and a short white coat. - Being pale-skinned, Saanens do not cope well with strong sun. - Sable Saanens have coloured skin, which helps protect them from sunburn, though white patches can still burn. ### Body parts - **Eyes** (~70° head dip the eyes make up for) [1] - Goat pupils are wide, sideways rectangles. Pupils like these are typical of prey animals with eyes on the sides of the head. - Sideways pupils give a sharp, panoramic picture of the ground ahead and behind: useful for spotting danger. - When a grazing animal tips its head down by about 70°, its eyes roll the other way by at least 0.7 of that angle, so the pupils stay roughly level with the ground. Scientists watched this in goats, sheep, horses, deer and moose. - **Ears** (78 Hz–37 kHz goat hearing range) [2][3] - A Saanen's ears stand up and point upwards and forwards. - In hearing tests, goats heard sounds from 78 Hz up to 37 kHz. They were most sensitive at about 2 kHz. - Only 2 goats were tested in that study, so the exact limits may vary a little. - **Horns** [4][2] - A Saanen can grow horns or be naturally hornless. The Swiss breed standard accepts both. - Goats whose horns were removed as young kids are accepted in the standard too. - Look closely before you guess a goat's sex: horns alone don't tell you whether it is a buck or a doe. - **Beard and wattles** (Chromosome 10 where the wattle gene sits) [5][6][2][7] - Both male and female goats can grow beards. - Wattles, also called tassels, are the two little dangles on the throat. Inside is a soft core of cartilage covered with normal skin. - Wattles run in families: one copy of the wattle gene from one parent is enough. Studies of Swiss and dairy goats traced it to chromosome 10. - **Mouth** [5][8] - Goats are browsers: they prefer leaves, twigs and shrubs, unlike grazers such as cattle and sheep. - Curious goats nibble and taste things to find out whether they are food, including paper, cardboard and clothing. That is how the tin-can myth started. - Goats even climb argan trees to browse. Later they spit out the seeds while chewing their cud, which can help spread the trees. - **Rumen** (~330 min cud chewing a day) [5][9] - Goats are ruminants: they swallow food, bring it back up as cud and chew it again. - In one study, Saanen goats chewed cud for about 330 minutes a day, roughly 5.5 hours. - A newborn kid's stomach works like a simple stomach at first. It drinks milk before the rumen takes over. - **Udder** (838 kg milk per lactation (Swiss average)) [2][4] - The Saanen is Switzerland's most productive milk goat: on average 838 kg of milk in a lactation of 264 days. - Swiss breeders aim for more than 830 kg in 220 days, with over 3.42% fat and 2.98% protein. - Small coloured spots on the udder are allowed by the breed standard. - **Coat and skin** (White coat and skin) [4][2] - Saanens have a short white coat that lies flat, over fine white skin. - Pale skin copes badly with strong sun, so Saanens need shade in hot, sunny places. - Swiss judges take points off for coloured flecks in the coat, even a few black hairs. - **Hooves** [5][10] - Goats are agile climbers that balance in tricky places. They are the only ruminants that regularly climb trees. - On farms, climbing trunks, tyres and platforms keep Saanen goats more active and cut down repetitive stress behaviour. - Hooves keep growing, so keepers trim them regularly to prevent lameness. - **Size** (90 cm buck height at the shoulder) [2][4] - The Saanen is the largest Swiss goat breed. - The Swiss standard asks for bucks 90 cm tall at the withers (the top of the shoulders) and does 80 cm. - Minimum weights are 85 kg for bucks and 60 kg for does. ### Stats | Stat | Value | Notes | |---|---|---| | Buck height | 90 cm | at the withers, Swiss breed standard (does: 80 cm) [4] | | Minimum weight | 85 kg | for bucks in the Swiss standard; does at least 60 kg [4] | | Milk per lactation | 838 kg | Swiss average over 264 days, about 3.2 kg a day [2] | | Milk fat goal | > 3.42% | Swiss breeding goal; protein goal over 2.98% [4] | | Cud chewing | ~330 min | a day, about 5.5 hours, in a study of Saanen goats [9] | | Hearing | 78 Hz–37 kHz | best at about 2 kHz (2 goats tested) [3] | | Pregnancy | ~150 days | twins are the usual result [5] | | Countries | 80+ | world population reported at over 900,000 [2] | | Puzzle memory | 10 months | goats still solved a two-step food box after this long [16] | | Herded for | 10,000 years | goats were first tamed in the Zagros mountains of western Iran [17] | ### Photos - [A Saanen buck in Hohe Tauern National Park, Austria](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nationalpark_Hohe_Tauern_-_Gletscherweg_Innergschl%C3%B6%C3%9F_-_59_-_Saanen-Ziegenbock.jpg) (photo: Haeferl, CC BY-SA 3.0) - [A Saanen at Buttercups Sanctuary for Goats, UK](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Saanen_goat_standing.jpg) (photo: ChristianNawroth, CC BY-SA 4.0) - [A Saanen doe nursing her kid at a farm fair in Croatia, 2016](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Koza%2C_sanska_-_%C5%BEenka_doji_jare.jpg) (photo: Silverije, CC BY-SA 4.0) - [A Saanen buck at a farm fair in Croatia, 2016](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Koza%2C_sanska_-_jarac.jpg) (photo: Silverije, CC BY-SA 4.0) - [A Saanen doe browsing](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Saanen_doe_browsing.jpg) (photo: Bill Tyne, CC BY-SA 2.0) - [Saanen goats in Vendée, France](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chevres_saanen_en_Vendee.jpg) (photo: Damien Hardy, CC BY 2.5) - [Saanen goats on Holy Isle in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Saanen_goats_on_Holy_Isle_10A178.jpg) (photo: RHaworth, CC BY 2.5) ### Questions - **Where do Saanen goats come from?** From the Saanen valley and the neighbouring Obersimmental in the Canton of Bern, Switzerland. Since the 19th century they have been exported widely and are now reported from more than 80 countries. [2][21][23] - **How much milk does a Saanen goat give?** In Switzerland, Saanens average 838 kg of milk in a lactation of 264 days, about 3.2 kg a day. Swiss breeders aim for more than 830 kg in 220 days. [2][4] - **Do Saanen goats have horns?** Some do and some don't. Saanens can be horned or naturally hornless, and the Swiss breed standard accepts both. [4][2] - **Can Saanen goats get sunburnt?** Their skin is pale, and the breed does not tolerate strong sun well, so Saanens need shade in hot, sunny places. Coloured Sable Saanens have darker skin, which helps protect them. [2][15] - **What is the difference between a Saanen and a Sable goat?** Colour. Sables are Saanen-type goats in any colour except white or cream. New Zealand recognised them in the 1980s, and the USA has registered them as a separate breed since 2005. [2][15] - **Do goats really eat tin cans?** No. Goats are curious browsers that nibble and taste things to check whether they are food, including paper and cardboard, but they don't eat metal cans. [5] - **Why do goats have rectangular pupils?** Wide, horizontal pupils give prey animals a sharp, panoramic view of the ground around them. When a goat lowers its head, its eyes roll so the pupils stay roughly level. [1] - **Is it safe to pet goats on a farm?** Approach goats calmly with an adult and follow the farm's rules. Afterwards, wash your hands with soap and running water to help stop germs from spreading. [24] ### Saanen goat myths and facts Tap Myth or Fact for each claim, then check the answer. - "Goats eat tin cans." **Myth!** Goats are curious browsers that nibble and taste things to check whether they are food, such as paper and cardboard. They don't eat metal cans. [5] - "Only billy goats have beards." **Myth!** Both males and females can grow beards. [5] - "Goats have rectangular pupils." **Fact!** Goat pupils are wide, horizontal rectangles, typical of prey animals with eyes on the sides of the head. [1] - "The dangles on a goat's throat mean it is a boy." **Myth!** Those are wattles. They are inherited from a parent, appear in both sexes and have a soft cartilage core. [6][5] - "Goats can tell a happy face from an angry one." **Fact!** In a 2018 study, goats went to photos of happy people first and spent longer with them, at least when the happy face was on the right. [11] - "A mother goat forgets her kid's voice once it has grown up." **Myth!** Mothers still reacted more to their earlier kids' calls 7–13 months after weaning. [13] - "Every Saanen kid is born white." **Myth!** White is dominant and can hide colour genes, so coloured kids sometimes appear. In the USA they can be registered as Sables. [15][2] - "A white coat makes the Saanen perfect for hot sun." **Myth!** The white coat sits on pale skin, and Saanens do not tolerate strong sun well. They need shade. [2][4] ### Saanen and goat records Records for Saanens and for goats in general. - Oldest goat ever: McGinty, a pygmy goat, 22 years 5 months (Hayling Island, UK, 2003 · Guinness World Records) [18] - Most productive Swiss milk goat: Saanen goat, 838 kg (average milk per lactation of 264 days) [2] - Largest Swiss goat breed: Saanen goat, 90 cm (buck height at the withers, at least 85 kg) [2][4] - Widest spread of the three breeds compared here: Saanen goat, 80+ countries (Boer: 72 countries · Anglo-Nubian: 60+) [2][19][14] - Earliest dated goat herding: Goats in the Zagros mountains, Iran, 10,000 years ago (the first known switch from hunting wild goats to herding them) [17] ### A year with a Saanen herd Goats in temperate places breed with the seasons, so a herd's year follows the length of the days. - **Early autumn**: Breeding season starts. As the days get shorter, does come into season. The breeding season runs from early autumn to late winter. [20] - **Autumn to spring**: Five months of waiting. A goat pregnancy lasts about 150 days. [5] - **Late winter to spring**: Kids are born. Twins are the usual result, though single kids and triplets are common too. [5] - **First weeks**: Milk first, cud later. Newborn kids digest milk with a stomach that works like a simple one. The rumen takes over as they start eating plants. [5] - **Spring to autumn**: Milking season. A Swiss Saanen gives on average 838 kg of milk over a 264-day lactation. [2] - **Late winter to late summer**: Browsing and climbing. Most does take a break from breeding. Goats browse leaves and shrubs, and farm goats stay active with things to climb. [20][5][10] ### Saanen goat history From wild mountain goats to a white dairy breed found worldwide. - **10,000 years ago**: Goats are tamed. People in the Zagros mountains of western Iran began herding wild goats. [17] - **Origins**: White goats of the Saanenland. The pure-white Saanen comes from the Saanenland and Obersimmental in the Canton of Bern, Switzerland. [21][2] - **1800s**: Off around the world. Since the 19th century, Saanens have been exported to many countries and crossed with local goats into new white breeds. [2] - **1950s**: White only. The American Dairy Goat Association accepted only white or cream Saanens in its registry. [15] - **1980s**: Sable in New Zealand. The coloured Sable Saanen was recognised as a breed in New Zealand. [2] - **2005**: Sables recognised in the USA. After a proposal from the International Sable Breeders Association, coloured Saanens could be registered as Sables. [15][2] - **2025**: Today's Swiss standard. The latest Swiss standard asks for bucks of 90 cm and does of 80 cm, and more than 830 kg of milk in 220 days. [4] ### Saanen vs Boer vs Nubian goats Three well-known breeds of the same species, Capra hircus, bred for different jobs. | | Saanen | Boer | Anglo-Nubian | |---|---|---|---| | Origin [2][19][14] | Saanen valley, Switzerland | Eastern Cape, South Africa (from about 1920) | Britain (1800s), from British and imported lop-eared goats | | Bred for [2][19][14] | Milk | Meat | Milk; kids also grow well for meat | | Ears [2][19][14] | Upright, pointing forwards | Broad and drooping | Long and drooping | | Colour [4][19][14] | White coat, white skin | White body, red-brown head, pigmented skin | Any colour, solid or mottled | | Milk a day [2][19][14] | About 3.2 kg (838 kg in 264 days) | 1.5–2.5 kg | About 3.9 kg | | Milk fat [4][19][14] | Over 3.42% (Swiss goal) | About 7.7% | About 4.8% | | Countries [2][19][14] | 80+ | 72 (2025) | 60+ | Boer and Anglo-Nubian figures are breed averages from summaries and vary a lot between herds. ### Is the Saanen goat endangered? No. The Saanen is a domestic breed kept in more than 80 countries. - **IUCN Red List:** Not Evaluated (NE) (Trend unknown). The world population was reported at over 900,000 goats, about 14,000 of them in Switzerland, where the Saanen has the second-largest goat herdbook. [2][21] - Domestic breeds are not on the IUCN Red List - **Threat: Strong sun**: Pale skin makes Saanens sensitive to strong sunshine, so they need shade in hot places. [2] - **Threat: Bare pens**: On intensive farms, goats may have little chance to climb and play. [10] - **Threat: Hoof trouble**: Without regular trimming, hooves overgrow and can make goats lame. [10] - **Helping: Herdbooks and standards** (830 kg): Swiss breeders keep herdbooks and a breed standard with goals for size and milk. [21][4] - **Helping: Things to climb**: Trunks, tyres and platforms made farm Saanens more active and reduced repetitive stress behaviour. [10] - **Helping: A place for coloured kids** (2005): Since 2005, coloured kids of Saanen parents can be registered as Sables in the USA instead of being turned away for their colour. [15] - **Wild goat (Capra aegagrus)** (NT): Domestic goats descend from this mountain goat, first herded about 10,000 years ago in the Zagros mountains. [22][17] ### Speak Saanen goat - Lying down, chewing cud: Relaxed and digesting. Goats spend hours a day chewing cud. [9] - Looking back and forth between you and a stuck feeder: Possibly asking for help: goats gaze at people who face them when a problem is too hard. [12] - Mother and kid bleating back and forth: They are finding each other by voice. [13] - Walking up to a smiling person: In one study, goats went to happy faces before angry ones. [11] ### Looks - **Doe**: Adult female. Short white coat, upright ears, horned or hornless, often with wattles. (Swiss standard: at least 60 kg and 80 cm at the shoulder) [4][6] - **Buck**: Adult male. Taller and heavier than a doe, often with a big beard. (Swiss standard: at least 85 kg and 90 cm at the shoulder) [4][5] - **Kid**: Young goat. Twins are the usual birth, and kids drink milk before their rumen takes over. (Born after a pregnancy of about 150 days) [5] - **Sable Saanen**: Same body as a Saanen in any colour except white or cream, with coloured skin. (Coloured skin helps protect against sunburn) [2][15] ### Saanen goat quiz 1. Which country does the Saanen goat come from? **Switzerland.** It is named after the Saanen valley in the Bernese Oberland, Switzerland. [2] 2. What shape are a goat's pupils? **Horizontal rectangles.** Goats have wide, horizontal pupils, like many prey animals. [1] 3. What do a goat's eyes do when it lowers its head to feed? **They roll to keep the pupils level.** The eyes counter-roll so the pupils stay roughly level with the ground. [1] 4. In a 2018 study, which photos did goats go to first? **Happy faces.** Goats went to happy faces first, at least when they were on the right. [11] 5. How long after weaning did mother goats still react to their kids' calls? **7–13 months.** Mothers still reacted more to their earlier kids' calls 7–13 months after weaning. [13] 6. What was the highest-pitched sound goats heard in hearing tests? **37 kHz.** Goats heard from 78 Hz up to 37 kHz. [3] 7. What are the two dangles on some goats' throats called? **Wattles.** Wattles, or tassels, have a soft cartilage core and run in families. [6] 8. About how much milk does a Swiss Saanen give in one lactation? **838 kg.** The Swiss average is 838 kg over 264 days. [2] 9. Why do Saanen goats need shade? **Their pale skin is sensitive to strong sun.** Saanens are pale-skinned and do not tolerate strong sun well. [2] 10. What is a Sable Saanen? **A coloured goat of Saanen breeding.** Sables are Saanen-type goats in any colour but white or cream. [15] 11. Goats climb which trees and spread their seeds by spitting them out? **Argan trees.** Tree-climbing goats spit out argan seeds while chewing their cud. [8] 12. How long does a goat pregnancy last? **About 150 days.** Goat pregnancy lasts about 150 days, and twins are the usual result. [5] ### Sources (checked 2026-10-16) 1. [Banks MS, Sprague WW, Schmoll J, Parnell JA, Love GD (2015). Why do animal eyes have pupils of different shapes? Science Advances 1:e1500391.](https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1500391) 2. [Wikipedia. Saanen goat.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saanen_goat) 3. [Heffner RS, Heffner HE (1990). Hearing in domestic pigs (Sus scrofa) and goats (Capra hircus). Hearing Research 48:231-240.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2272932/) 4. [Schweizerischer Ziegenzuchtverband (SZZV) (2025). Rassenstandard Saanenziege (breed standard, edition 1 Jan 2025).](https://www.szzv.ch/fileadmin/01_szzv/07_Download/07_Rassenstandards/Rassenstandard_2025_DE_Definitiv_01.01.2025_SA.pdf) 5. [Wikipedia. Goat.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goat) 6. [Reber I, Keller I, Becker D, Flury C, Welle M, Droegemueller C (2015). Wattles in goats are associated with the FMN1/GREM1 region on chromosome 10. Animal Genetics.](https://doi.org/10.1111/age.12279) 7. [Xu X, Guo Y, Li M, et al. (2023). Genome-wide association study for wattles trait in the dairy goat breed. Animal Biotechnology.](https://doi.org/10.1080/10495398.2022.2149545) 8. [Delibes M, Castañeda I, Fedriani JM (2019). Spitting seeds from the cud: a review of an endozoochory exclusive to ruminants. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 7:265.](https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2019.00265) 9. [M'Hani MEM, Beniaich Y, El Moussaouiti R, et al. (2026). Rumination in the goat (Capra hircus) is a circadian rhythm synchronized by feeding time. Frontiers in Physiology.](https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2026.1818222) 10. [Pilarczyk R, Bakowska M, Tomza-Marciniak A, Udala J, et al. (2026). The influence of environmental conditions and husbandry practices on goat welfare. Animals 16:838.](https://doi.org/10.3390/ani16050838) 11. [Nawroth C, Albuquerque N, Savalli C, Single MS, McElligott AG (2018). Goats prefer positive human emotional facial expressions. Royal Society Open Science 5:180491.](https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.180491) 12. [Nawroth C, Brett JM, McElligott AG (2016). Goats display audience-dependent human-directed gazing behaviour in a problem-solving task. Biology Letters 12:20160283.](https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2016.0283) 13. [Briefer EF, Padilla de la Torre M, McElligott AG (2012). Mother goats do not forget their kids' calls. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 279:3749-3755.](https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2012.0986) 14. [Wikipedia. Anglo-Nubian goat.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Nubian_goat) 15. [Cooper T (2025). Breed Profile: Sable Goat. Goat Journal (Countryside).](https://goatjournal.iamcountryside.com/goat-breeds/sable-goat-breed-profile/) 16. [Briefer EF, Haque S, Baciadonna L, McElligott AG (2014). Goats excel at learning and remembering a highly novel cognitive task. Frontiers in Zoology 11:20.](https://doi.org/10.1186/1742-9994-11-20) 17. [Zeder MA, Hesse B (2000). The initial domestication of goats (Capra hircus) in the Zagros mountains 10,000 years ago. Science 287:2254-2257.](https://doi.org/10.1126/science.287.5461.2254) 18. [Guinness World Records. Oldest goat ever.](https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/oldest-goat-ever) 19. [Wikipedia. Boer goat.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boer_goat) 20. [Delgadillo JA, Hernandez H, Abecia JA, Keller M, Chemineau P (2020). Is it time to reconsider the relative weight of sociosexual relationships compared with photoperiod in the control of reproduction of small ruminant females? Domestic Animal Endocrinology.](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.domaniend.2020.106468) 21. [Schweizerischer Ziegenzuchtverband (SZZV). Saanenziege.](https://www.szzv.ch/de/rassen/schweizer-rassen-gefaehrdete-rassen/saanenziege.html) 22. [Wikidata. Wild goat, Capra aegagrus (Q178228).](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q178228) 23. [Wikidata. Saanen goat (Q645054).](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q645054) 24. [US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Farm Animals. Healthy Pets, Healthy People.](https://www.cdc.gov/healthy-pets/about/farm-animals.html) ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 70-90 cm - **Weight:** 60-90 kg - **Lifespan:** 8-12 years - **Litter Size:** 1-3 - **Gestation:** 145-155 days ## Diet & Feeding Saanen goats are browsers that nibble leaves, twigs and shrubs, plus hay on farms, turning them into nutritious milk. - **Age differences:** Young kids drink milk from their mother before transitioning to solid plant foods. - **Primary Foods:** leaves, hay, clover, alfalfa, shrubs, twigs - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Depends on:** [Human](https://www.snappit.app/explore/human) (*Homo sapiens*) — Saanen goats are kept by people, mainly for their milk. - **Eats:** [White Clover](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-clover) (*Trifolium repens*) — Saanen goats graze on white clover and other pasture plants. ## Traits - [Furry](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/furry): Furry describes animals possessing a dense covering of soft hair or fur. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Horned](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/horned): Characterized by having one or more hard, permanent, pointed projections on the head. - [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. ## Collections - [Mammals](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/mammals) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Saanen goats are friendly, but it's best to approach them calmly and with an adult. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Saanen Goat? Compare ears, muzzle, tail, feet and coat markings. Size is hard to judge without something nearby for scale, and young mammals may not have adult coloring yet. Mammal Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Saanen Goat? 70-90 cm ### How much does Saanen Goat weigh? 60-90 kg ### How long does Saanen Goat live? 8-12 years ### What does Saanen Goat eat? Saanen goats are browsers that nibble leaves, twigs and shrubs, plus hay on farms, turning them into nutritious milk. ### How many babies does Saanen Goat usually have? 1-3 ### How long is Saanen Goat's gestation? 145-155 days ## More Mammals - [Eastern Fox Squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-fox-squirrel) (*Sciurus niger*) - [Eastern Cottontail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-cottontail) (*Sylvilagus floridanus*) - [Eastern Chipmunk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-chipmunk) (*Tamias striatus*) - [California Ground Squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/california-ground-squirrel) (*Otospermophilus beecheyi*) --- Source: [Saanen Goat: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/saanen-goat)