Fainting goats- evolutionary reason?

[JEDI]

"A fainting goat is a breed of domestic goat whose muscles freeze for roughly 10 seconds when the goat is startled. Though painless, this generally results in the animal collapsing on its side"

what's the point? doesnt this make it easier to be eaten by predators?

 

[Cuda1447]

Playing dead.

 

[kstu]

paging drpizza

 

[Nitemare]

keeps them safe from horny farmhands?

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: Nitemare
keeps them safe from horny farmhands?

Safe?


ZZZZZIP!

*faints*

Heh heh heh

 

[sandorski]

Mother Nature got tired on giving animals defence mechanisms. She took one look at these goats and just lost it. Then she gave the first ever "Duck and Cover" instructions.

 

[nismotigerwvu]

Not every mutation provides an advantage, the only perk this one brought about was catching the attention of humans.

 

[biggestmuff]

Evolutionary advantage? Sure. Just like Down Syndrome.

 

[Dunbar]

I'm sure mankind is responsible for breeding goats with this trait because of the novelty. Whereas in nature that breed probably wouldn't survive in the same numbers (if at all without human intervention.)

 

[gururu2]

goats are domestic animals, meaning that they have been bred for hundreds of years to maintain certain traits. as mentioned these have probably been kept around for the novelty. that being said, playing dead is a common defensive trait by different species which is effective because many predators 1) instinctually stray from dead animals 2) don't know what to do with an animal which has no injuries. injuries sustained during a fight are usually the sight at which a predator begins to tear in and eat.

 

[sandmanwake]

Originally posted by: JEDI
doesnt this make it easier to be eaten by predators?

That's exactly the point. Some freak mutation caused their muscles to lock up when excited and some shepherd got the bright idea of breeding specifically for this trait so that they could be used as sacrificial lambs to keep the more valuable livestock safe. The goat would be unable to escape quickly enough and becomes a meal to predators while other live stocks take the opportunity to run to safety.

 

[DangerAardvark]

Originally posted by: gururu2
goats are domestic animals, meaning that they have been bred for hundreds of years to maintain certain traits. as mentioned these have probably been kept around for the novelty. that being said, playing dead is a common defensive trait by different species which is effective because many predators 1) instinctually stray from dead animals 2) don't know what to do with an animal which has no injuries. injuries sustained during a fight are usually the sight at which a predator begins to tear in and eat.

This.

Selective breeding is a hit or miss process. Sometimes you get entirely unintended consequences.

 

[Juno]

answer

 

[Nitemare]

Originally posted by: Juno
answer

let me guess, the fainting goat gif off bbzzdd?

 

[Throckmorton]

It's a domestic animal so natural selection doesn't apply. Artificial selection does.

 

[Juno]

Originally posted by: Nitemare

Originally posted by: Juno
answer

let me guess, the fainting goat gif off bbzzdd?

stop hovering.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: DangerAardvark

Originally posted by: gururu2
goats are domestic animals, meaning that they have been bred for hundreds of years to maintain certain traits. as mentioned these have probably been kept around for the novelty. that being said, playing dead is a common defensive trait by different species which is effective because many predators 1) instinctually stray from dead animals 2) don't know what to do with an animal which has no injuries. injuries sustained during a fight are usually the sight at which a predator begins to tear in and eat.

This.

Selective breeding is a hit or miss process. Sometimes you get entirely unintended consequences.

Yeah, it completely FUBARs the predator.

Predator - "Wait! WTF do I do now?"

 

[Nitemare]

Originally posted by: Juno

Originally posted by: Nitemare

Originally posted by: Juno
answer

let me guess, the fainting goat gif off bbzzdd?

stop hovering.

didn't have to hover, your goat linking habit precedes you.

 

[spittledip]

Originally posted by: Juno
answer

damn that umbrella almost ate them

 

[Ika]

youtube link of gif Juno posted

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: Juno
answer

And so began the Goatroll.

 

[BillGates]

I saw a fainting goat segment on Dirty Jobs and the owner told Mike Rowe that there is speculation that they were kept around more expensive animals...then if a predator came around, they'd pass out and be taken by the predator as easy prey, allowing the other animals to escape. As to how it all started in the first place, not sure.

 

[andylawcc]

Originally posted by: Jeff7

Originally posted by: Juno
answer

And so began the Goatroll.

the alternate rick rolleD?

 

[Lonyo]

Originally posted by: gururu2
goats are domestic animals, meaning that they have been bred for hundreds of years to maintain certain traits. as mentioned these have probably been kept around for the novelty. that being said, playing dead is a common defensive trait by different species which is effective because many predators 1) instinctually stray from dead animals 2) don't know what to do with an animal which has no injuries. injuries sustained during a fight are usually the sight at which a predator begins to tear in and eat.

One correction, it's thousands of years (>9,000), not hundreds. Goats were one of the first animals to be domesticated.

 

[Fritzo]

Originally posted by: JEDI
"A fainting goat is a breed of domestic goat whose muscles freeze for roughly 10 seconds when the goat is startled. Though painless, this generally results in the animal collapsing on its side"

what's the point? doesnt this make it easier to be eaten by predators?

They pass out so they won't have any traumatic memories of the farmer molesting them.