Mortality and Life Table of a Japanese Serow (Capricornis crispus) Population in Iwate Prefecture, Japan

抄録

To evaluate population characteristics of the Japanese serow, we collected a sample which included horns, skulls and pelvic bones from 124 serow that had died from natural causes between 1983 and 1986 in Iwate Prefecture, Japan. All the serow were aged and sexed. The mortality rate was higher from April through September. Major causes of death included dogs, diseases, drownings, and traffic accidents. The adult sex ratio showed a disparity in favor of males. A time-specific life table was constructed. Maximum longevities for male and female serow were 20 and 21 years, respectively. Lamb mortality rate for females was higher (36.5%) than that for males (15.3%) . Adult mortality rates were relatively low, averaging 17.7% for males and 14.8% for females. Life expectancies at birth were 5.3 years for males and 4.8 years for females, respectively. All population characteristics obtained in this study were similar to those of the Gifu-Nagano population. There were no differences in the survival curve pattern between males and females.