The Taiwanese serow (''Capricornis swinhoei'') also known as the Formosan serow, is a small species of

bovid The Bovidae comprise the family (biology), biological family of cloven-hoofed, ruminant mammals that includes Bos, cattle, bison, Bubalina, buffalo, antelopes (including Caprinae, goat-antelopes), Ovis, sheep and Capra (genus), goats. A member o ...

that is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

to Taiwan.

Physical characteristics

Its

torso The torso or trunk is an anatomical terminology, anatomical term for the central part, or the core (anatomy), core, of the body (biology), body of many animals (including human beings), from which the head, neck, limb (anatomy), limbs, tail an ...

length is and weight . Its tail is short, which measures about 6.5cm. Its color is dark tan with yellow spots on the jaw, throat and nape. Both sexes bear horns that curve slightly backward and measure 10–20 centimeters in length. The horns are conical in shape and are never shed. The Formosan serow is the only native

of Taiwan.

Lifestyle and behavior

They are highly vigilant and not easy to observe. However, their

feces Feces (also known as faeces American and British English spelling differences#ae and oe, or fæces; : faex) are the solid or semi-solid remains of food that was not digested in the small intestine, and has been broken down by bacteria in the ...

are commonly found in

Yushan National Park Yushan National Park () is one of the nine national parks in Taiwan and was named after the summit Yushan, the highest peak of the park.Nanhu Mountain Mount Nanhu () is a mountain in Taroko National Park, Heping District, Taichung, Heping District, Taichung, Taiwan with an elevation of 3,742 m (12,277 ft). It is the 5th highest mountain in Taiwan. Nanhu Salamander (''Hynobius glacialis'') ...

Hsuehshan Xueshan or Sekuwan (in Atayal, formerly known as among others) is a mountain in the Heping District of Taichung, Taiwan. It is the 2nd-highest mountain in Taiwan and in East Asia, at above sea level. It is located in the Shei-Pa National ...

, Yushan, and Siouguluan Mountain. They also live in the

Taroko National Park Taroko National Park () is one of the nine wonders in Taiwan and was named after the Taroko Gorge, the landmark gorge of the park carved by the Liwu River. The park spans Taichung Municipality, Nantou County, and Hualien County and is located ...

. Their hoofs separate to two sides and can easily hold on to rocks on steep slopes. They are also good tree climbers. They are solitary and territorial. They use tears to smear branches or stones as markers.

Reproduction

September to November is the Taiwan serow's mating season. Their

gestation Gestation is the period of development during the carrying of an embryo, and later fetus, inside viviparous animals (the embryo develops within the parent). It is typical for mammals, but also occurs for some non-mammals. Mammals during pregn ...

period lasts about seven months. Calves are delivered between next year's March and June. Usually it gives birth to one calf, but can sometimes deliver twins. Newborn calves can stand on their own in just a few hours. Three-month-old calves can feed by themselves, but can still be nursed by mothers. Males do not take care of calves. From six-months to one-year old, calves gradually separate from mothers and live independently. They grow to

sexual maturity Sexual maturity is the capability of an organism to reproduce. In humans, it is related to both puberty and adulthood. ''Puberty'' is the biological process of sexual maturation, while ''adulthood'', the condition of being socially recognized ...

in two to three years and can live up to approximately 15 years.

Protected species

Since 1989, Taiwan serows have been listed as a rare and valuable species (珍貴稀有保育類) and are protected by Taiwan's . The main threats to the Taiwan serow are

habitat destruction Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss or habitat reduction) occurs when a natural habitat is no longer able to support its native species. The organisms once living there have either moved elsewhere, or are dead, leading to a decrease ...

and harvesting.

Predators

Predator density on Taiwan is low; the principal predator is the

Formosan black bear The Formosan Black Bear (, ''Ursus thibetanus formosanus''), also known as the Taiwanese black bear or white-throated bear, is a subspecies of the Asiatic black bear. It was first described by Robert Swinhoe in 1864. Formosan black bears are ...

, while a previous predator was the

Formosan clouded leopard The Formosan clouded leopard was a clouded leopard (''Neofelis nebulosa'') population that was endemic to Taiwan. Camera trapping studies carried out in several protected areas in Taiwan between 1997 and 2012 did not record any clouded leopard. ...

before it went extinct.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q715983

Taiwan serow The Taiwanese serow (''Capricornis swinhoei'') also known as the Formosan serow, is a small species of bovid that is endemic to Taiwan. Physical characteristics Its torso length is and weight . Its tail is short, which measures about 6.5cm. ...

Mammals of Taiwan Endemic fauna of Taiwan