Territorial Behavior of the Japanese Serow in Kusoudomari, Wakinosawa Village

Abstract

Territorial behavior of the Japanese serow (Capricornis crispus) was studied in Kusoudomari, Wakinosawa Village, Aomori Prefecture, from March 1976 to December 1982. Inhabited ranges of adult males and females were overlapped in many cases, and males expelled other males, and females did the same, all the year around. Severe chase of a serow against an intruder was often observed. This behavior has been seen as a male against a male, a female against a female, an adult male against a male yearling, and an adult female against a two year old female in cases when they encountered with others in their own home range overlapped with others. This sort of chase has not been seen between an adult male and a female, an adult male and a female yearling, and an adult female and a male yearling if they en-countered in similar situations. Consequently it seems that territorial exclusion only appears against other serow of identical sex. Serows' territory exists bascally for protecting their own feeding areas, and for keeping stable pair-bond. They do not show tendency of having a united territory of family like groups or pairs. Territorial protection and dispersal of youngs away from it might be for stability of serow's population density.