Mammal · GBIF taxon 4262615
Taiwan Serow
Capricornis crispusAlso known as Japanese Serow, Japanese Goat-Antelope, Kamoshika
Japanese serows are stocky, solitary goat-antelopes adapted to navigating steep, rocky mountain slopes and dense forests. Both males and females possess short, backward-curving horns and use secretions from large preorbital glands to scent-mark territory along well-defined trails. When alarmed, they produce a distinctive whistling snort before retreating up cliffs with incredible agility.
HerbivoreSolitaryMountain Wildlife
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Leaves, shoots, evergreen foliage, acorns, and bark
Predators
- Asiatic Black Bear
- Feral Dog
ThreatsHabitat fragmentation, forestry conflict, and competition with sika deer
HabitatsSubalpine forests, steep rocky slopes, and dense mountain woodlands
Life span12 to 20 years
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- FamilyBovidae
- SpeciesCapricornis crispus
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Observe from afar: Give serows plenty of space, as they prefer to stand ground or retreat up steep cliffs.
- Look for sign: Scan tree trunks for scent marks left by their prominent facial glands along mountain trails.
- Listen quietly: A sharp whistling alarm snort often announces their presence before they are seen.
Competitor "Vietnamese Sika Deer" by elPadawan is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/. · cc-by-sa
Frequent Companion "Japanese Macaque Monkey" by .curt. is licensed under CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/. · cc-by
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