Taiwan Serow
Encyclopedia
The Taiwan Serow also known as the Formosan Serow, is a small bovid
endemic to the main island of Taiwan
.
length is 80 to 114 centimeters and weighs 25 - 35 kilograms. Its tail is short, which measures about 6.5 cm. 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 bovid
of Taiwan.
in Yushan National Park. At sunrises or sunsets, you can find them eating in the woods singly or in small numbers. They generally eat the leaves below the shoulder height, or vines, ferns, shrubs, or herbs on the ground. In addition, they need to absorb salt. So, you can find them licking minerals deposited on cliffs or rocks.
Taiwan serows can jump as high as 2m and run as fast as 20 km per hour. Among all mammals in Taiwan, they are the best high jumpers. They can be found at an elevation as low as 50 meters, but is mostly seen at 1000 meters or up to 3500 meters. Their habitats include conifer forest, mixed broad-leaved forests, and the steep slopes of bare rocks and gravel cliffs. You can sometimes spot them on top of Nanhu Mountain (南湖大山), Hsuehshan (雪山), Yushan (玉山), and Siouguluan Mountain (秀姑巒山). They also live in the Taroko National Park. 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, which use tears to smear branches or stones as markers.
period lasts about seven months. Calves are delivered between next year's March and June. Usually it gives birth to one calf. Sometimes it can deliver twin. New born calves can stand on their own in just a few hours. Three-months 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
in two to three years and can live up to approximately 15 years.
Bovid
A bovid is any of almost 140 species of cloven-hoofed ruminant mammal at least the males of which bear characteristic unbranching horns covered in a permanent sheath of keratin....
endemic to the main island of Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
.
Physical Characteristics
Its torsoTorso
Trunk or torso is an anatomical term for the central part of the many animal bodies from which extend the neck and limbs. The trunk includes the thorax and abdomen.-Major organs:...
length is 80 to 114 centimeters and weighs 25 - 35 kilograms. Its tail is short, which measures about 6.5 cm. 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 bovid
Bovid
A bovid is any of almost 140 species of cloven-hoofed ruminant mammal at least the males of which bear characteristic unbranching horns covered in a permanent sheath of keratin....
of Taiwan.
Life Style and Behavior
They are highly vigilant and not easy to observe. However, you can easily find their fecesFeces
Feces, faeces, or fæces is a waste product from an animal's digestive tract expelled through the anus or cloaca during defecation.-Etymology:...
in Yushan National Park. At sunrises or sunsets, you can find them eating in the woods singly or in small numbers. They generally eat the leaves below the shoulder height, or vines, ferns, shrubs, or herbs on the ground. In addition, they need to absorb salt. So, you can find them licking minerals deposited on cliffs or rocks.
Taiwan serows can jump as high as 2m and run as fast as 20 km per hour. Among all mammals in Taiwan, they are the best high jumpers. They can be found at an elevation as low as 50 meters, but is mostly seen at 1000 meters or up to 3500 meters. Their habitats include conifer forest, mixed broad-leaved forests, and the steep slopes of bare rocks and gravel cliffs. You can sometimes spot them on top of Nanhu Mountain (南湖大山), Hsuehshan (雪山), Yushan (玉山), and Siouguluan Mountain (秀姑巒山). They also live in the Taroko National Park. 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, which use tears to smear branches or stones as markers.
Reproduction
September to November is Taiwan Serow's mating season. Their gestationGestation
Gestation is the carrying of an embryo or fetus inside a female viviparous animal. Mammals during pregnancy can have one or more gestations at the same time ....
period lasts about seven months. Calves are delivered between next year's March and June. Usually it gives birth to one calf. Sometimes it can deliver twin. New born calves can stand on their own in just a few hours. Three-months 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
Sexual maturity is the age or stage when an organism can reproduce. It is sometimes considered synonymous with adulthood, though the two are distinct...
in two to three years and can live up to approximately 15 years.