Breed · Goat breed
Angora
Capra hircus
The Angora is a fibre goat of Anatolian origin bred for mohair, the long, lustrous fleece it produces. It is small-framed and is shorn for fibre rather than kept primarily for milk or meat.
Record
Livestock breed- Breed of
- Goats
- Species
- Goat (Capra hircus)
- Type
- Fibre
- Origin
- Anatolia (Ankara region), Türkiye
- Recognition
- Registered
- Conservation status
- Not at riskReported per source and date (e.g. FAO DAD-IS); not a fixed property of the breed.
- Registries
- FAO DAD-IS · Global · as of 2026-07-12Breed recorded in the global inventory of livestock breeds.
- Adaptation
- Well suited to dry to semi-arid rangeland; freshly shorn animals are sensitive to cold, wet conditions until the fleece regrows, so shelter around shearing is important.
- Primary uses
- Mohair (fibre) production
Registry listing or variety protection is jurisdiction- and date-specific and does not by itself indicate current commercial availability, universal cultivation approval, patent status, or a recommendation.
The Angora is a specialised fibre goat that originated in the Anatolian region of Türkiye, historically associated with the area around Ankara (formerly Angora). It is bred to produce mohair, a long, lustrous, resilient fibre valued in textiles.
Angoras are relatively small-framed compared with dairy and meat goats and carry a dense coat of long, wavy or curly mohair locks. Mohair is distinct from cashmere, which is the fine downy undercoat of other goat types; the Angora goat is also unrelated to the Angora rabbit, which produces angora fibre.
Origin and development
The Angora is an ancient fibre breed from Anatolia, later exported to become the basis of mohair industries in several countries. Major mohair-producing populations developed in South Africa, the United States (notably Texas), Argentina, Lesotho, and Türkiye.
Physical characteristics and fibre
- Small-to-medium frame carrying a dense coat of long mohair locks, most commonly white.
- Both sexes are usually horned, with a fine-boned build.
- The fleece is typically harvested by shearing on a regular seasonal cycle.
Mohair is prized for lustre, strength, and dye affinity. Fleece characteristics and animal condition are closely linked to nutrition and management.
Management and adaptation
Angora goats are kept mainly in extensive, rangeland-based fibre systems in dry to semi-arid regions. Reproductive rates tend to be lower than in many meat and dairy breeds, and freshly shorn animals are sensitive to cold, wet weather until the fleece regrows.
Relationships
Evidence-backed connections in the knowledge graph.
Adapted to climate
Farming systems
Scope & limitations
Geographic scope: Global; an Anatolian fibre breed distributed to the world’s mohair-producing regions. Husbandry and regulation vary by country.
Climate context: Best suited to dry, semi-arid rangeland; management around shearing is climate-sensitive.
- This is a breed characterisation, not husbandry, shearing, or veterinary guidance.
- Fibre yield and quality are highly genetics- and management-dependent and are described only qualitatively here.
- FAO DAD-IS conservation status is assessed per national population; the not-at-risk assessment reflects the breed’s international distribution rather than any single country, and mohair-flock sizes fluctuate with markets.
Sources
This article draws on the following authoritative sources. See our sources & methodology for how they are selected.
- [1]DAD-IS — Domestic Animal Diversity Information System (opens in a new tab)Authoritative
FAO Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture
Cited for: Breed record and characterisation in the global inventory
- Type:
- Official registry
- Jurisdiction:
- Global
- Accessed:
- 2026-07-12
- Moderate
Cited for: General background on the Angora goat and mohair
- Type:
- Reference database
- Jurisdiction:
- Global
- Accessed:
- 2026-07-12