Size: Height; 45 cm. Weight; 18-27 kg.

Habitat and Distribution: Grasslands throughout West Africa. This goat is also known as the Cameroon Dwarf Goat.

Age: 10-15 years.

Groups and Breeding: Goats can breed all year round and produce 1-3 offspring after a gestation of around 150 days. Young are weaned at 12 weeks and males are immediately sexually mature, females however do not mature until 7-12 months.

Diet: Grasses and plants.

• Goats were first domesticated 7,000-10,000 years ago in the Middle East. The West African Dwarf Goat has been bred for centuries by tribes people.
• Goats can survive on a tiny amount of grass so that the only habitats where they cannot be found are tundra, desert and water.
• Onions are highly toxic to these goats.
• West African goats are thought to be small due to natural selection, making them better suited to high temperatures and humidity, but also due to achondroplasia; the same genetic condition which causes dwarfism in humans.
• Goats are excellent climbers due to hair which grows between their hooves and gives them traction on smooth surfaces. The hoof is also hard on the outside and softer underneath, a bit like the sole of a tennis shoe.
• Pygmy goats can produce almost 3 pints of milk a day for up to 10 months.