How do lice look on goats? - briefly
Goat lice are tiny, flattened insects roughly 2–3 mm in length, gray‑to‑brown in color, and typically found near the hairline, ears, and udder. They appear as minute moving specks that may create light‑colored patches on the animal’s skin.
How do lice look on goats? - in detail
Lice that infest goats are small, wingless insects belonging to the genera Bovicola and Linognathus. Adult specimens measure 1.5–3 mm in length, with a laterally flattened body that enables movement through the host’s dense hair. The dorsal surface is covered by fine, translucent setae giving a slightly matte sheen; coloration ranges from pale gray to light brown, sometimes appearing almost colorless against a white goat’s coat.
Head morphology includes prominent, forward‑projecting antennae composed of four segments. The mouthparts are piercing‑sucking, adapted for feeding on blood and tissue fluids. Legs end in clawed tarsi that grip hair shafts securely. In the nymphal stages, individuals are smaller (0.5–1 mm), lack fully developed wings, and display a lighter hue than mature lice.
Typical distribution on the animal includes the neck, behind the ears, around the horns, and along the dorsal midline where hair is thickest. Infested areas often show a fine, pale debris known as “nits” – lice eggs attached firmly to hair shafts. Nits appear as tiny, oval, whitish capsules, each about 0.5 mm long, positioned close to the skin surface.
Life‑cycle observations:
- Egg (nit) stage: 5–7 days before hatching.
- Three nymphal instars: each lasting 3–5 days.
- Adult stage: up to 30 days, during which females lay 20–30 eggs per day.
Under a hand lens or low‑magnification microscope, the combination of size, flattened body, translucent setae, and the characteristic nit attachment pattern provides a reliable visual identification of goat lice.