Conservation status | FAO (2007): endangered [1] |
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Country of origin | Italy |
Distribution |
|
Standard | MIPAAF |
Use | milk, meat |
Traits | |
Weight | |
Height | |
Coat | glossy black with reddish lights [3] |
Face colour | black |
Horn status | horned in both sexes |
|
The Garganica is a breed of domestic goat which originated on the Gargano promontory in the Puglia region of southern Italy. From there it has spread to other parts of Puglia and to neighbouring regions.
The Garganica is indigenous to the Gargano, and derives from cross-breeding of local animals with goats imported from western Europe, probably at the same time as the importation of Merino sheep that led to the formation of the Gentile di Puglia sheep breed. [3]
The Garganica is one of the eight autochthonous Italian goat breeds for which a genealogical herdbook is kept by the Associazione Nazionale della Pastorizia, the Italian national association of sheep-breeders. [4] [5] The breed standard was approved in 1976. Numbers have fallen sharply in recent years; [3] In 1870 there were 33725 head; by 2002 this had fallen to 18000. [6] The conservation status of the breed was listed as "endangered" by the FAO in 2007. [1] In 2008 the total population was estimated at 3000, of which 511 were registered in the herdbook. [3] At the end of 2013 the registered population was 773. [7]
The animals are of medium height and not heavy: adult males typically weigh 65 kg, and females 50 kg. The heads are rather small and adults have long, coarse black or dark chestnut hair. The skins of the kids are prized for their curly, raven-black hair.
The breed is noted for its toughness and is well suited to being raised in a wild state in very difficult habitats. [3]
The milk yield of the Garganica is reported as 120 litres in 180 days for primiparous nannies, and 170 litres in 210 days for pluriparous ones, in one source; [3] another gives a yield of 180–250 litres. [4] The milk is used to make the traditional regional cheeses of the Gargano, including canestrato and cacioricotta del Gargano. [3] [6]
The meat is used to make muscisca, a traditional food of transhumant pastoralists. Strips of goat's meat are salted, flavoured with garlic, and air- or sun-dried. [3]
The Sarda is a breed of domestic sheep indigenous to the island of Sardinia. It is raised throughout Italy, and in other Mediterranean countries, particularly Tunisia. The Sarda is considered to be among the best Italian breeds of sheep for production of sheep's milk; most of the milk is used to make pecorino sardo cheese. The Sarda is highly adaptable; it may be kept on lowland or on mountainous terrains, and is suitable both for intensive and for extensive or transhumant management. The long, coarse white wool is used for weaving carpets and other goods.
The Bionda dell'Adamello is an indigenous breed of domestic goat from the Val Camonica in the province of Brescia, in Lombardy in northern Italy.
The Jonica is a breed of domestic goat from the province of Taranto, in Puglia in southern Italy. The origins of the breed are uncertain; it is thought to have originated from crossing of local varieties with the Maltese breed. The Jonica is one of the eight autochthonous Italian goat breeds for which a genealogical herdbook is kept by the Associazione Nazionale della Pastorizia, the Italian national association of sheep-breeders.
The Sarda is an indigenous breed of domestic goat from the Mediterranean island of Sardinia, off the west coast of central Italy. It is raised throughout the island, particularly in the provinces of Cagliari and Nuoro. It is an ancient breed that has been influenced by the Maltese goat.
The Comisana, also known as Faccia Rossa and Lentinese, is an Italian breed of domestic sheep indigenous to central and northern areas of the Mediterranean island of Sicily. Its name derives from that of the comune of Comiso, in the province of Ragusa. It is raised principally in the provinces of Caltanissetta, Enna and Palermo, but is found in many other Italian provinces and has also been exported to other Mediterranean countries.
The Altamurana is an Italian breed of sheep from the province of Bari, in Puglia in southern Italy. It is of Asiatic, possibly Syrian, origin. It is raised mainly in the provinces of Bari and Foggia, and takes its name from the town of Altamura, in the Murge. It was formerly considered a triple-purpose breed, yielding meat, milk, and wool; it is now kept principally for milk production. It yields approximately 65 kg of milk per lactation, with an average of 7.5% fat and 6.5% protein.
The Barbaresca or Barbaresca Siciliana is a breed of large fat-tailed sheep from the Mediterranean island of Sicily, in southern Italy. It derives from the cross-breeding between indigenous Sicilian Pinzirita sheep with fat-tailed Barbary sheep of Maghrebi origin. These were probably brought to the island after the Muslim conquest of Sicily in the 9th century; Arabic texts preserved at Agrigento document the movement of large numbers of sheep to the Sicilian interior.
The Leccese or Moscia Leccese is a breed of domestic sheep indigenous to the Salento peninsula, in Puglia, southern Italy. Its name derives from that of Lecce, the principal city of the peninsula. Like the Pinzirita and the Altamurana, it belongs to the Zackel sheep group. It is a hardy and frugal breed, usually kept in semi-feral herds, capable of surviving year-round on pasture alone. The wool is normally white and the skin flesh-coloured with darker mottlings. In a small proportion of animals the wool is entirely black, and the skin is also black; these black-skinned sheep are resistant to the effects of the poisonous Hypericum crispum, common in the Salento, which in the white-woolled, pale-skinned sheep causes photosensitivity and thus dermatitis.
The Gentile di Puglia is a breed of domestic sheep indigenous to southern Italy. It originates from the Tavoliere di Foggia, a large plain in the northern part of Puglia, and is raised mainly in that region; a few are found in neighbouring regions. The Gentile di Puglia is sometimes known as the Merinos d'Italia, or Italian merino.
The Delle Langhe, also called Pecora delle Langhe or Langarola, is a breed of domestic sheep indigenous to Piedmont, in north-western Italy. It is a rough-woolled breed of southern Mediterranean type, and originates from the mountainous area of the Alta Langa, where the Apennines meet the Alps, in the province of Cuneo. It is raised mainly in the Langhe, but is found in several other regions of Italy including Abruzzo, Basilicata, Emilia–Romagna, Liguria and Tuscany.
The Napoletana is an Italian breed of domestic goat from the area south of Naples, in Campania in southern Italy. It is raised on the slopes of Vesuvius, on the slopes of the Monti Lattari, and in the Agro Nocerino Sarnese which lies between them. The origin of the breed is unknown. It may derive from goats of African origin imported to the area in the early years of the twentieth century; the alternative name Torca Nera, "black Turkish goat", suggests an origin in the Mediterranean basin.
The Grigia Molisana is an Italian breed of greyish domestic goat indigenous to Molise in southern Italy. It is raised in the comuni of Acquaviva Collecroci, Castelmauro, Montefalcone nel Sannio, Montemitro and San Felice del Molise; all are in the province of Campobasso, and the breed may also be called the Capra di Campobasso. The highest concentration is in Montefalcone, from which the name Capra di Montefalcone derives. The origins of the breed are not known; studies conducted in the 1980s suggest influence from the Alpino Comune, Garganica and Maltese breeds.
The Di Teramo is an indigenous breed of domestic goat from the province of Teramo, in Abruzzo in southern Italy, and is raised only in that area. Numbers are very low; the breed was listed as endangered by the FAO in 2007. It is further threatened by cross-breeding with the Garganica breed.
The Cilentana Nera is an indigenous breed of domestic goat from the province of Salerno, in Campania in southern Italy. It takes its name from the geographical region of the Cilento, much of which is today within the Parco Nazionale del Cilento, Vallo di Diano e Alburni, and is raised mainly in that area and in the Monti Alburni. The range extends to the Monti Picentini and to the area of Ricigliano in eastern Campania and Muro Lucano in Basilicata. It is one of three goat breeds in the Cilento, the others being the Cilentana Grigia and the Cilentana Fulva. The Cilentana Nera is found on higher ground and poorer pasture than the other two, and is raised mainly for meat. It has been influenced by the Garganica and Napoletana goat breeds.
The Cilentana Grigia is an indigenous breed of domestic goat from the province of Salerno, in Campania in southern Italy. It takes its name from the geographical region of the Cilento, much of which is today within the Parco Nazionale del Cilento, Vallo di Diano e Alburni, and is raised mainly in that area, but also in the Monti Alburni and the Monti Picentini. It is one of three indigenous goat breeds in the Cilento, the others being the Cilentana Fulva and the Cilentana Nera. The Cilentana Grigia is found on lower ground and richer pasture than the Cilentana Nera, and is raised mainly for milk. The origins of the breed are obscure; it shows the influence of the Maltese and Garganica breeds, and similarities to other Italian grey breeds such as the Ciociara Grigia of Lazio and the Argentata dell'Etna from Sicily.
The Argentata dell'Etna is an Italian breed of domestic goat indigenous to the area of Mount Etna in the province of Catania and the Monti Peloritani in the province of Messina, in the Mediterranean island of Sicily, in southern Italy. It is raised mainly in that area, but also in the provinces of Enna and Palermo. It is named for the volcano and for its silvery grey coat. The origins of the breed are unknown; it shows similarities to the Garganica breed, and to other Italian grey breeds such as the Ciociara Grigia of Lazio and the Cilentana Grigia of Campania.
The Nicastrese is an Italian breed of domestic goat indigenous to Calabria, in southern Italy. It originates in the province of Catanzaro, and takes its name from the former town of Nicastro, which since 1968 has been part of Lamezia Terme. The Nicastrese is raised mainly in the area of origin, but also in the neighbouring provinces of Cosenza and Reggio Calabria. Photographic evidence suggests that it may be closely connected to the old "Araba" breed of the area.
The Nera Verzasca, also known as the Nera di Verzasca or Verzaschese, is a Swiss breed of black domestic goat from the Valle Verzasca, in the canton of Ticino in southern Switzerland, from which it takes its name. It is raised in that area and in the provinces of Como, Varese and Verbano Cusio Ossola in northern Lombardy, in the north of Italy.
The Roccaverano is an Italian breed of large domestic goat from the Langhe, in the provinces of Asti and Cuneo, in Piemonte in north-western Italy. It is raised mainly in the Langa Astigiana, mostly within the Comunità montana Langa Astigiana Val Bormida}, and is named for the town and comune of Roccaverano in that area. The origins of the breed are unknown.
The Messinese is an indigenous breed of domestic goat from the area of the Monti Nebrodi and the Monti Peloritani in the province of Messina, in the Mediterranean island of Sicily, in southern Italy. It is raised mainly in those areas, but also in the provinces of Catania, Enna and Palermo. Its range partly overlaps that of the Argentata dell'Etna. The breed was officially recognised and a herd-book established in 2001. It was previously known either as the Capra dei Nebrodi or in general as the Siciliana Comune.