Most animals with teeth have both upper and lower sets. You’ve probably noticed you only see a goat’s bottom teeth, so do they have teeth on the top too?
Simply put, they do not really need them! Two rows of tearing teeth really aren’t necessary for the typical goat diet, and they have evolved to eat successfully without them.
While a goat’s upper jaw may not have rows of teeth, they instead have a special, tough kind of pad that allows them tear off their food. This is called a dental pad.
Goats do lose teeth, much like humans. They lose baby teeth to make way for adult teeth, and they lose teeth to old age and wear and tear. In fact, you can use those eight lower teeth to tell the age of a goat.
Goats do show irritation – but not aggression – by biting, so don’t get too complacent around goats! While a chomp by a goat won’t do serious harm, having your finger squashed between the lower incisors and that top dental pad will still hurt!