Mammals · Artiodactyla · Bovidae

Japanese Serow

Capricornis crispus

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The Japanese serow, or kamoshika, is a stocky, shaggy goat-antelope of the mountain forests of Japan, with short straight horns in both sexes and a whitish beard. It is solitary and territorial, and marks its ground with its preorbital glands. It was on the brink of extinction in the mid-20th century, and its designation as a natural monument in 1955 allowed a recovery so complete that it now causes conflict with forestry and mountain farming.

Weight

30 kg – 45 kg

Size

1.1 m – 1.2 m

Lifespan

20 years

Diet

Herbivore

Feeds mainly on plants.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

Temperate forestMountainHerbivore Diurnal Solitary Temperate forest Mountain Mammal

5countries 14parks86same family

Fun facts

GeneralIt is a designated natural monument in Japan, after coming to the brink of extinction.
It has been designated a special natural monument of Japan since 1955, a legal status reserved for a handful of species, which protected it when only a few thousand animals were left.
It moves slowly and with apparent indifference, to the point that Japanese hillwalkers describe it as an animal that stands staring at you instead of fleeing, behaviour that almost cost it extinction when it was hunted.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Dense mountain forest of conifers and broadleaves on Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu, in Japan
Sexual maturity: 3 years
Gestation / incubation: 7.1 months
Litter / clutch size: 1

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capricornis_crispus