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Welcome to Brainstuff, a production of IHeartRadio.

Hey, Brainstuff. Lauren Vogelbaum here.

Goats are the most multipurpose livestock animal that I know of.

They can be raised specifically as a food source for

their rich, slightly funky meat or milk. When raised for their hair or hide, they produce some of the

most luxurious fibers on the market. Angora and Kashmir both come from goats. They're also

happy to clear land of overgrowth. In lots of places you can rent goats

to essentially mow your lawn. And of course, they can make adorable and entertaining companions.

One particular breed of goat, however, is known for a rather different trait, suddenly stiffening up

and appearing to faint.

A footage of these fainting goats occasionally makes the rounds on social media.

Yet, despite all appearances, these goats aren't weak of heart or abnormally prone to fright,

and they're not actually fainting. They don't lose consciousness at all during these episodes.

They just fall over.

This is caused by what's basically a delay in the relaxation of muscles

that tense up involuntarily during surprise or other excitement.

Think of what happens when you startle.

You tense up briefly.

What's happening in these goats is that they lock into that tension for several seconds, and if they happened to be on uneven ground when they

tensed, they're likely to tip over. This happens due to a genetic medical condition,

known as myotonia congenita, a congenita meaning present at birth.

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