Goats are known as bleating farm animals that can climb trees and are just all-around cuties, although they can be a little dangerous.
They love head-butting and often fight in this way to assert dominance, which can be dangerous for smaller children.
However, there are stories of a goat being able to lick your skin off, originating from a historical torture method where the soles of a victim’s feet were covered by salt water and then licked off by a thirsty goat.
How is a goat’s tongue used in torture?
The Romans reportedly used a goat’s tongue as part of an ancient torture technique, although it definitely wasn’t a very common form of torture since they had other much more painful techniques that are well-recorded.
First, the victim would be tied up with the soles of their feet bare in the air.
Their soles would then be drenched in salt water.
A thirsty goat would come to lick the person’s soles, first tickling them (which some people already find excruciating) and then slowly turning painful as the goat’s tongue apparently ripped more skin layers off.
It’s reported that continual licking could even go so deep as to expose the victim’s bones, although this is doubtful because goats do not like consuming meat and have soft tongues.
They are herbivores and are not built for consuming any kind of meat, especially something raw as described here.
This torture technique has never been reproduced; therefore, it’s difficult to know how effective it really is.
The goat’s tongue will no doubt tickle your soles and be rather torturous for those who are easily tickled but not to the extremes where it can be used alongside other worse torture techniques.
What does a goat’s tongue look like?
You may think that a goat’s tongue is similar to a cow’s or maybe even a cat’s tongue, but that’s not the case.
Goats have soft, mostly smooth tongues similar to humans and dogs.
Their tongues are pink and around 5 inches (13 centimeters) long, longer than a human’s one.
It almost looks like two human tongues merged at the ends, although most of their tongue stays inside their jaw.
A goat’s tongue has many nerve endings that make them very sensitive.
Their tongue is useful for a variety of purposes, which makes it a valuable survival and reproductive tool.
What do goats use their tongue for?
Because goats are herbivores and eat many plants that may be thorny, they use their tongue to feel the plants and help them eat.
Thorny or prickly plants can hurt their mouths, so the tongue is a useful guard to feel out what plants seem palatable and which don’t.
Their tongue also helps them move food around to chew and rechew as needed.
While a goat’s tongue is primarily used for eating, that’s not the end of it.
Goats use their tongues as part of courtship, asserting dominance, and hormonal outbursts.
A buck (male goat) will “gobble” with his tongue and make loud noises as a form of courtship when he sees a potential mate.
He keeps his tongue sticking out throughout the entire courtship process.
She will usually urinate for him to taste if she is in estrus (and ready to mate) or not.
Bucks are very territorial, especially in the breeding season, and will gobble with their tongues at rivals both during fights and afterward to assert dominance.
Both bucks and does (female goats) are prone to hormonal outbursts if sexually frustrated.
Bucks will gobble at other bucks and humans if there are no females around to gobble to.
Does with a cystic ovary will also gobble and even mount other goats until the issue is resolved.
Bucks urinate on their mouths and beards since their urine is the source of the pungent odor they give off during the breeding season.
They will rub their urine on whatever they can find to assert territorial dominance and let females know they’re around.
Does can then taste (yes, taste, not just sniff) the urine to find out the age, identity, and ranking of the male.
This urine usually triggers the females into estrus, making them ready for mating.
Goats may also use their tongue to clean themselves.
They may even lick humans, but it’s likely not because they’re showing affection; goats like the mineral salts found on your skin.
Do goats lick themselves or other goats?
Other pets like cats often lick themselves or each other to clean and soothe.
Goats also use their tongue to clean themselves as well as other goats.
They will scratch their neck and head with their rear feet and then use their tongue for the other areas of their bodies.
Goats will even lick and scratch other goats as part of a social grooming process.
If a goat licks another goat, it shows that they are familiar and friendly with one another.
Nibbling is a sign of security and trust, so don’t be afraid if a goat you know well does this to you.
If you find your goats are licking you a lot, it might be because they have a salt deficiency in their diet.
Be sure to have a mineral salt lick in their enclosure so they can always have a source of salts to keep them healthy and happy.
While there certainly is some historical evidence to support the fact that goats licking feet was used as torture, it’s unlikely to have been used extensively due to its impracticality.
Goat’s tongues are soft, without any barbs like on wild cats’ tongues, and it’s unlikely that a goat will ever be able to lick your skin off.