The experiment was carried out to evaluate the adaptability of exotic (Boer, Savanna and Anglo-Nubiana) and native (Moxotó) goats of the Semi-arid of Paraiba. Forty animals were used, ten of each breed, allotted in a completely randomized design with four treatments and ten replications. The climatological data were registered daily at 9:00 am and at 3:00 pm and the physiological parameters studied were: rectal temperature (RT), respiratory frequency (RF) and surface temperature (ST) and they were checked twice a week, in the morning and in the afternoon. There was significant effect (P<0,05) for all the environmental variables, BGHI, and physiological parameters, being the largest averages observed in the shift of the afternoon. For the physiological parameters RT and ST there was significant interaction (P<0,05) between breed and periods of the day. The Index of Tolerance to Heat (ITH) had not significant difference among breeds. All breeds demonstrated to be well adapted physiologically to the climatic conditions of the Semi-arid and present the same degree of heat tolerance.
Environment; physiological parameters; tolerance to heat
