On the Behavioural Biology of the Mainland Serow: A Comparative Study

Serows Capricornis spp. are solitary, elusive, forest-dwelling goat-antelopes, allegedly the closest ancestral forms to wild sheep and goats (Caprinae). Their behaviour and ecology have been largely overlooked so far, although they could be useful to understand the roots of early ritualisation of weapons, i.e., horns. The activity rhythms, marking behaviour, and social interactions of captive mainland serows have been described and quantified. Activity peaked in mid-afternoon and late night, whereas resting and ruminating were the highest at noon and twilight. The two sexes used different marking sites and marking frequencies. A total of 33 social behaviour patterns were observed: 18 patterns concerned agonistic behaviour, whereas 15 patterns were relevant to courtship behaviour. An evolutionary comparison across Caprinae species with unritualised piercing horns, inclusive of serows, suggests that inter-sexual direct forms of aggressive behaviour are used significantly more often than indirect ones, except for chamois. Thus, Chamois Rupicapra spp. would be confirmed as the most advanced genus in terms of an early ritualisation of weapons, i.e., strongly hooked horns. Conversely, horns of the goral Nemorhaedus spp. and the serow lie on the same plane of the frontal bones, thus making possible the usage of a dominance display through frontal pushing.