Capricornis crispus

Geographic Range

The distribution of Japanese serows is restricted to the Japanese islands of Honshu, Kyushu, and Shikoku.

• Biogeographic Regions
• palearctic palearctic
  • native native

• Other Geographic Terms
• island endemic island endemic

Habitat

Japanese serows inhabit forested areas on mountains.

• Habitat Regions
• temperate temperate
• terrestrial terrestrial

• Terrestrial Biomes
• forest forest
• mountains mountains

Physical Description

Japanese serows are similar in appearance to goats. Their horns average 12 to 16 cm in length. Their body length is approximately 130 cm, and their shoulder height is about 65 cm. Adult serows weigh 30-45 kg, and they are not strongly sexually dimorphic. Their pelage is dark brown, but in the northern part of their range the color is lighter. They possess large infraorbital glands that are used in scent marking their territories. This gland can be seen easily.

• Other Physical Features
• endothermic endothermic
• homoiothermic
• bilateral symmetry bilateral symmetry

• Sexual Dimorphism
• sexes alike

Reproduction

Japanese serows usually form monogamous pairs. However, some males mate with two and occasionally three females in the same breeding season. Two field studies at different locations found a similar proportion of polygynous males (20-30%), suggesting that the proportion of animals that mate polygynously is perhaps fixed in the species. Both sexes form territories that they defend against other individuals of the same sex. Usually male territories almost completely overlap those of a female, but sometimes male territories include territories of more than one female. In these cases, those males are polygynous. Mated pairs remain together every year, perhaps because they hold consistent territories. When a mate is displaced from their territory, their mate remains in the same territory and mates with the individual that takes over the territory of the displaced animal.

• Mating System
• monogamous monogamous
• polygynous polygynous

Japanese serows rut in September to November. The young are born in May and June, and they remain with their mother for about a year. Young reach sexual maturity at 2.5 to 3 years of age. Although serows become independent as yearlings, they remain in their natal territory. They disperse between 2 to 4 years of age, but females may inherit their mothers' territories.

• Key Reproductive Features
• iteroparous iteroparous
• seasonal breeding seasonal breeding
• gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate)
• sexual sexual
• viviparous viviparous

Most of the parental investment is provided by the mother. Young serows follow their mothers for a year, and remain in the mother’s territory for 2 to 4 years. Lactation continues until November. Males provide no parental care to the young, although they permit young within their territories.

• Parental Investment
• altricial altricial
• pre-fertilization
  • provisioning
  • protecting
    • female
• pre-hatching/birth
  • provisioning
    • female
  • protecting
    • female
• pre-weaning/fledging
  • provisioning
    • female
  • protecting
    • female
• pre-independence
  • provisioning
    • female
  • protecting
    • female
• post-independence association with parents
• inherits maternal/paternal territory

Lifespan/Longevity

The maximum longevity is 20 to 21 years for males and 21 to 22 years for females. Life expectancies at birth are 5.3 to 5.5 years for males and 4.8 and 5.1 years for females. One study found that serows live in same territory for 11.7 to 12.4 years. Because serows disperse from their natal territories at 2 to 4 years of age to establish their own territories, they live most of their lives in the territory they established. Also, it is likely that successful establishment of a territory increases an individual's chances of survival greatly, those without territories have greater risk of mortality.

Behavior

Japanese serows are known to stand on high look outs for extended periods. This behavior could be for the purpose of detecting predators, but may also be to detect territorial rivals.

Japanese serows are considered diurnal, but a study using radio collared individual found that they are almost as active during night.

• Key Behaviors
• terricolous
• diurnal diurnal
• nocturnal nocturnal
• motile motile
• sedentary sedentary
• solitary solitary
• territorial territorial

Home Range

Japanese serows are solitary animals and form intrasexual territories. They mark their territories with the scent gland located in front of the eyes. Encounter between adults serows of same sex results in aggression, where the intruding serows are chased out of the territories. Deaths from combat injury occur at least among males in some cases. Territory size is affected by the food availability.

Communication and Perception

Japanese serows use scent marking to hold territories. Because they are solitary animals and have little occasion to encounter other individuals of the same species, they use scent marking as their primary method of communication. Females use sound to call their young.

• Communication Channels
• visual visual
• acoustic acoustic
• chemical chemical

• Other Communication Modes
• scent marks scent marks

• Perception Channels
• visual visual
• tactile tactile
• acoustic acoustic
• chemical chemical

Food Habits

Japanese serows are browsers that feed primarily on the buds and leaves of deciduous broad-leaved trees. They also feed on leaves of evergreen coniferous trees and fallen acorns. They sometimes eat flowers and fruits.

• Primary Diet
• herbivore herbivore
  • folivore folivore

• Plant Foods
• leaves
• wood, bark, or stems
• seeds, grains, and nuts
• fruit
• flowers

Predation

Japanese serows have no or very few predators other than humans. A potential predator is Ursus thibetanus , Asiatic black bears. However, Asiatic black bears are not highly predatory. Historically, wolves probably preyed on serows, but wolves were exterminated from the serow's range by the early 1900s. More significantly, humans hunted them for meat and hide in the past. They are currently protected as a Japanese natural heritage and hunting is prohibited. Recently, dog predation was found to be a leading source of mortality in some areas.

Ecosystem Roles

Because Japanese serows are territorial and their density in any particular area is limited, their impact on vegetation is relatively low. However, some species of plants are affected by their browsing and consequently they have some influence over the vegetation.

Economic Importance for Humans: Positive

Traditionally Japanese serows were an important source of meat and hide for people. Currently they are recognized as unique species endemic to Japan and classified as a natural heritage.

• Positive Impacts
• food food
• body parts are source of valuable material
• ecotourism ecotourism
• research and education

Economic Importance for Humans: Negative

Because they browse on trees, Japanese serows sometimes become pests to the forestry industry as they damage planted trees. They are sometimes killed as a management practice to control damage to forestry plantations.

• Negative Impacts
• crop pest

Conservation Status

Japanese serows were hunted to near extinction by people in the past. They are currently protected as a natural heritage and hunting has been prohibited. They are listed as Lower Risk in IUCN.

Other Comments

Japanese serows are currently recognized as Capricornis crispus , they were previously recognized under the name Naemorhedus crispus .

Additional Links

Encyclopedia of Life

Contributors

Tanya Dewey (editor), Animal Diversity Web.

Kensuke Mori (author), University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Phil Myers (editor, instructor), Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.

References

Fukuda, G. 1995. Illustrated pocket book of animals in colour . 5-12, 1 Chome, Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan: Hokuryukan.

Kishimoto, R., T. Kawamichi. 1996. Territoriality and monogamous pairs in a solitary ungulate, the Japanese serow, Capricornis crispus . Animal Behavior , 52: 673-682.

Kishimoto, R. 1989. Early Mother and Kid Behavior of a Typical "Follower", Japanese Serow Capricornis crispus . Mammalia , 53(2): 165-176.

Kubo, K., Y. Nakagawa, N. Maeda, K. Numata, T. Yamada. 2001. Yama-kei pocket guide 24, Nihon yasei doubutsu . 1-1-33, Shiba-daimon, Minatoku, Tokyo, Japan: YAMA-KEI Publishers Co.,Ltd..

Miura, S., I. Kita, M. Sugimura. 1987. Horn Growth and Reproductive History in Female Japanese Serow. Journal of Mammalogy , Vol.68, No.4.: 826-836.

Miura, S., N. Maruyama. 1986. Winter weight loss in Japanese serow. Journal of Wildlife Management , 50(2): 336-338.

Ochiai, K., S. Nakama, S. Hanawa, T. Amagasa. 1993. Population dynamics of Japanese serow in relation to social organization and habitat conditions. I. Stability of Japanese serow density in stable habitat conditions. Ecological Research , 8: 11-18.

Ochiai, K., S. Nakama, S. Hanawa, T. Amagasa. 1993. Population dynamics of Japanese serow in relation to social organization and habitat conditions. II. Effects of clear-cutting and planted tree growth on Japanese serow populations. Ecological Research , 8: 19-25.

Ochiai, K., K. Susaki. 2002. Effects of territoriality on population density in the Japanese serow, ( Capricornis crispus ). Journal of Mammalogy , 83(4): 964-972.

Ochiai, K. 1999. Diet of the Japanese serow ( Capricornis crispus ) on the Shimokita Peninsula, northern Japan, in reference to variations with a 16-year interval. Mammal study , 24: 91-102.

Takatsuki, S., N. Ôsugi, T. Itô. 1988. A Note on the Food Habits of the Japanese Serow at the Western Foothill of Mt. Zao, northern Japan. Journal of the Mammalogical Society of Japan , 13(2): 139-142.

Tokida, K., S. Miura. 1988. Mortality and Life Table of a Japanese Serow ( Capricornis crispus ) Population in Iwate Prefecture, Japan. Journal of the Mammalogical Society of Japan , 13(2): 119-126.