SPECIES PROFILE

Name: serows are a group of unusual goat-like antelopes. There are four distinct species: the Japanese serow, mainland serow, red serow, and Taiwan serow.

Appearance: all serows have distinctive beards and small horns which are often shorter than their ears. Their colour varies between species. The Taiwan serow is a dark tan, the red serow is a red brown, the mainland is black, and the Japanese is a paler white brown.

Size: serows can reach around 110 cm long and weigh up to 35 kg.

Diet: serows are often found grazing in woods or on rocky hills. They generally eat leaves below shoulder height, or vines, ferns, shrubs, and herbs on the ground.

Did you know: serows are secretive and unusual-looking animals. They have been described as looking like a cross between a cow, a donkey, a pig, and a goat! Serows are silent, secretive wanderers, browsing through the forests and mountains. The Japanese serow is known locally as Kamoshika or ‘wraith of the forest’. However, they can move quickly if needed. The Taiwan serow can jump over 2 metres high and run up to 55 km per hour!

Location: they live in central and eastern Asia. Their preferred habitats are coniferous forests, mixed broadleaved forests, and the steep slopes of bare rocks and gravel cliffs.

Where TO SEE Serows

According to reports submitted to WildSide, you can see serows in the following places:

Photo Credit: ichimi under a Creative Commons licence from Pixabay