Goat or sheep?
How to tell them apart
A goat usually has a beard and holds its short tail up. A sheep’s tail hangs down, even when short, and its upper lip is split.
Quick answers
They differ on 1 of the 8 quick answers: kept as a pet.
| Question | Goat | Sheep |
|---|---|---|
| What is it? | Mammal | Mammal |
| Carnivore? | No, herbivore | No, herbivore |
| Dangerous? | No | No |
| Domesticated? | Yes | Yes |
| Awake when? | Daytime | Daytime |
| Hibernates? | No | No |
| Kept as a pet? differs | Sometimes | No |
| Do people eat it? | Yes | Yes |
At a glance
| Question | Goat | Sheep |
|---|---|---|
| Found in | Worldwide | Worldwide |
| Habitat differs | Farmland | Farmland, Grassland |
| Size | Medium | Medium |
| Length differs | – | 120–180 cm |
| Weight differs | 20–27 kg (small does) to over 140 kg (Boer bucks) | 20–200 kg, depending on breed |
| Legs | 4 | 4 |
| Covered in differs | Fur | Wool |
| Lives differs | In herds | In flocks |
| Lives for differs | 15–18 years | 10–12 years |
| Can fly | No | No |
| Swims | Yes | Yes |
| Lays eggs | No | No |
About each
Goat
One of the first animals ever domesticated, from the wild goat in Iran about 10,000 years ago. Kept for milk, meat, hair and skins, there were more than 1.1 billion goats in 2022.
Sheep
Domesticated ruminants kept for wool, meat and milk, most likely descended from the wild mouflon. There were around 1.2 billion sheep in 2019, and their wool is the most widely used animal fibre.
Sources
Last reviewed . The answers and notes come from each animal's own page, where every source is listed.
How each answer is decided: How we answer. More look-alikes: Side by side.