Capra is a genus of goats and ibexes, family Bovidae, subfamily Caprinae, comprising ten species including the markhor and several ibex species, found across mountain habitats in Africa, Asia and Europe from the Ethiopian Highlands to Central Asia. Members are very agile and hardy, able to climb bare rock and survive on sparse vegetation, and are distinguished from sheep, genus Ovis, by scent glands near the feet, in the groin and in front of the eyes; some species display beards and hairless calluses on the front leg knees. The domestic goat, Capra hircus, descends from the bezoar ibex and is one of the oldest domesticated animal species, with domestication beginning roughly 10,000 years ago in what is now Iran.
Facts
Taxonomic Rank Scientific Name Member Species/Taxa Count Defining CharacteristicsDistinguished from Ovis by scent glands near the feet, groin and eyes, and by a beard and hairless calluses on the forelegs in some specimens 1 Identification
Distinguishing AppearanceA beard in some specimens and hairless calluses on the knees of the forelegs 1 Classification
Living or Extinct Sources
1. Capra (genus) - Wikipedia
Introduction, first sentence
Capra is a genus of mammals, the goats
Introduction, genus naming clause
Capra is a genus of mammals, the goats
Introduction, species count clause
comprising ten species, including the markhor and several species known as ibexes
Introduction, distinguishing features sentence
They can be distinguished from the genus Ovis, which includes sheep, by the presence of scent glands close to the feet, in the groin, and in front of the eyes, and the absence of other facial glands, and by the presence of a beard in some specimens, and of hairless calluses on the knees of the forelegs.
Introduction, distinguishing features sentence, beard and callus clause
the presence of a beard in some specimens, and of hairless calluses on the knees of the forelegs
View the Source2. Wikidata (taxon extant/extinct status)
Wikimedia Foundation / Wikidata contributorsQ172923, descriptionView the Source Wikidata: Capra
Wikidata Q172923, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source Reader Challenges (0)
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