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If you’ve never visited a farm with fainting goats, you might have come across their iconic reaction online: When startled, these goats stiffen up and collapse, extending their limbs as if frozen in a cartoonish death pose. While some find this dramatic display amusing (as shown in numerous viral clips), learning the real cause behind it makes the behavior seem less entertaining.
Fainting goats, or myotonic goats, are a breed of small domestic goats originally from North America. Despite their name, they don’t actually faint. Fainting refers to a temporary loss of consciousness due to reduced oxygen to the brain. When these goats fall, it’s because of muscle issues, not a brain malfunction, and they remain fully conscious throughout.
Myotonic goats have a condition called myotonia congenita, which causes their muscles to involuntarily stiffen for short periods. Unlike most animals, who either fight or flee when threatened, fainting goats react differently. Their muscles suddenly tighten—sending the brain the signal to prepare for action—before relaxing quickly, allowing the body to either advance or escape.
When a fainting goat gets startled, its muscles tighten in fear and it takes longer than usual to return to normal. The contraction can last anywhere from 10 to 20 seconds, which is where the ‘fainting’ part of their name comes from. "You can imagine if you’re stiff, you’re going to fall over," explains Susan Schoenian, a goat expert at the University of Maryland's Western Maryland Research and Education Center, in an interview with Mytour. "And that’s where the name comes from."
Such a condition is rare in nature for a reason. Falling when most vulnerable is hardly a desirable survival trait, and in the wild, it would be naturally selected against. However, when these goats first emerged in Tennessee in the 1880s, breeders were motivated to preserve the trait. Myotonia congenita is linked to dense, muscular bodies, which means myotonic goats have one of the highest meat-to-bone ratios among goat breeds.
In today’s world, fainting goats have become a quirky and internet-famous breed. Surprising them has become a popular pastime among some goat owners. However, don’t feel too bad the next time you see a fainting goat video online: Their reaction isn’t harmful or painful—it’s just probably a little annoying.
